


Is This Love or Lust?

by The_Head_In_Charge



Category: Grand Theft Auto Series (Video Games), Grand Theft Auto V
Genre: Abusive Ex, Action & Romance, Attempted Kidnapping, Booty Calls, Canon-Typical Violence, Canonical Character Death, Character Death, Emotional Hurt, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Emotional Sex, Eventual Sex, Eventual Smut, Explicit Language, F/M, Friends With Benefits, Gang, Gang Violence, Gangsters, Interracial Relationship, Psychological Torture, Psychopathic Ex, Psychopaths In Love, Romance, Romantic Fluff, Stalking, Suspense, Threesome - F/F/M, Thriller, Torture, fwb to lovers, jealous ex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-22
Updated: 2020-02-11
Packaged: 2020-07-11 13:49:53
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 22
Words: 77,963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19929085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Head_In_Charge/pseuds/The_Head_In_Charge
Summary: Liz MacAllen finds herself feeling something more for Franklin, but does he feel the same way about her? Also there may be some problems along the way for the two.Also on fanfiction.net.





	1. Realization

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this is a story that I had thought about when I went through my most recent playthroughs of GTA V. I noticed some had shipped Franklin with Ursula and even Sapphire, and plenty have shipped him with Tracey (I did, too). However, I thought of another character and decided to ship something different. Besides, considering the circumstances of how Franklin and Liz met in the game, I thought why not.

For months now, Elisa MacAllen, who preferred to be called Liz, had been in a rather casually sexual relationship with Franklin Clinton.

One night, Franklin had picked her up from ULSA after she had just gotten out of an evening class that she was taking. A lot of the time, she would flirt and talk dirty to Franklin as he drove her home. She would also undo his pants a bit and start going down on him to rev him up for a night of hot passion.

Franklin pulled up in front of The Tahitian on Strawberry and Carson; he followed her to her apartment. Right when they walked through the door, the first thing she did was pull up his shirt while he went and kissed her on the lips and then moved towards her neck as he ran his hands all over her tan skin and stripped her of her clothes in the process.

Liz got Franklin all hard enough to put her face down there again and started sucking away. However, she cut it short as the look she gave him implied that she wanted him to lie in her bed and she crawled her naked body into the bed and mounted right on top of him.

"Come on, be a big boy!" she yelled as she started to ride him.

Franklin grabbed her by her breasts and squeezed and rubbed them together, while she moaned "Yeah! Yes!" loudly. But in the back of her mind, she had thought to herself, "Tell me you love me!"

She didn't say it aloud, though, as the thought just sprung to her mind. She felt some confusion in the middle of having sex with Franklin but did her best to hide that feeling. After a while, the two finished their sexual session and then fell asleep on Liz's bed.

It was now 7 AM and Franklin woke up to check his phone. Liz lied their asleep and had her left arm wrapped around Franklin, who then moved to get out of bed.

"Where are you going, Franklin?" Liz said drowsily. "Come back, stay with me."

"I'm sorry, baby, but I have some business that I need to attend to," Franklin said. "I'll call you soon, okay?"

"Okay," Liz said.

Franklin leaned over and then hugged Liz while she lied there, but Liz then moved her face towards Franklin's and then kissed him goodbye. It wasn't long until Franklin left as his Buffalo sped right down the street of Carson to wherever he needed to go, while Liz lied there all by her lonesome and then looked around her with a confused yet somewhat sad look on her face.

 _Why does this keep happening? He never stays with me unless he wants to fuck me._ She thought. _Wait, am I suddenly thinking this?_

Franklin and Liz had been sort of seeing each other for a few months now, but their relationship had been purely physical, at least for the most part. The two had met when Raul, the manager of the Downtown Cab Company, had asked Franklin to take Alonzo for a ride to meet her under the Olympic Freeway overpass where she was fixing his car.

Alonzo was Liz's ex-boyfriend, who was abusive and possessive of her, to the point where he would beat up Liz's stepbrother because she hugged him, only because he wasn't blood-related. He would check Liz's cell-phone to see if she would be talking to any other guys. If he only knew that she had dated other men besides him.

It wasn't like she was only with Alonzo. She had also dated Kyle Chavis, a tennis coach who often coached wives of rich men, but then found out one day when she thought about surprising him at work and went to a tennis club where he was seen having sex with a client of his. It was enough for her to call it quits with him at that point.

When Franklin gave Alonzo the ride to meet with Liz, Franklin noticed how he berated her for taking the car out without his permission, not to mention the part about how he went after Liz's former boss at her previous job just for calling her. Though Franklin's comment about her rubbed him the wrong way, he did not need to react the way he did. However, karma bit him in the ass when he tried to fight Franklin, who then beat him up in the process. Liz gained an attraction to him for that.

But lately, she had felt something for Franklin that she never thought that she would feel. Sure, all those hot and sweaty nights with him were fun and all, but it even surprised her that she would even start looking at him in a different light than before. After having broken up with Alonzo for all the months he put her through hell, as well as broken up with Kyle for sleeping with his clients, she wasn't ready to date again. She was focused on her schoolwork, as well as trying to work on herself. The months of abuse from Alonzo pushed her away from wanting a new boyfriend.

Franklin may have been a good outlet for her because things were purely physical. She was sure that she wasn't the only one who he was messing around with, especially when she noticed a picture of him and another woman in his car. Whenever they talked, he didn't imply much about a girlfriend, so Liz assumed that she may have been an ex who got away, which was actually the case.

She lied in bed but then sat up with her blanket covering her naked body. Could she really be falling for Franklin at this point? Why was she feeling this way? It's been said that sometimes you'll fall for someone when you don't expect it. Liz was having one of these moments, but the question on her mind was whether Franklin felt the same way or not.

She enjoyed all the casual sex she had with him, but when they had sex the previous night, she felt something more, like maybe there was a lot more passion involved, rather than just want his body on her. The fact that she wanted him to stay with her was a clear sign that she felt something more for him. But he had to go somewhere. She knew that he owned some businesses and stuff, and was involved in some questionable activity. Hell, Alonzo was a member of the Vagos, so it's not like she doesn't know anything about the gang life.

For the rest of the day, she attended her classes. She couldn't focus much. The main thing on her mind was Franklin. It was definitely a sign to her that maybe she was falling for him, enough that she can't concentrate on her studies. The teacher would give a lecture and she wasn't even listening or taking notes. When class had ended, she snapped back into reality and then reached for her phone. She then found Franklin under her contacts list. She wrote a message to him.

_Hey, Franklin, please call me when you get this. I need to tell you something._

She wasn't sure what Franklin was up to at that point. For all she knew, he was out pulling a score, stealing a car, maybe caught up in something that was life-threatening. Whatever it was, she started to wonder.

Meanwhile, Franklin happened to have been out with Trevor and Lamar at the Vanilla Unicorn. Franklin was getting a lap dance from Nikki, who then asked if he would like to go over to her place afterwards. However, he got out his phone and noticed a new message and it was from Liz.

"Oh, some other time, baby," Franklin said.

He walked out of the private dance area and saw Trevor and Lamar hanging out by the stage. He walked up to the two men.

"Hey, dogs, I gotta bounce," Franklin said.

"Oh, we were just beginning to have fun, F!" Trevor said. "I mean look at all these women. They just want to eat you alive! Oh yeah!"

"Your words, not mine, T," Franklin said. "I have to go right now."

"Hey, homie, I'll just roll with this crazy guy for a bit," Lamar said. "He'll take me to the crib."

"Fo sho, dog," Franklin said, who then fist-bumped both men.

Franklin walked down the hallway and opened the doors to the strip club and saw the alleyways, as daylight shone right open the streets of Strawberry at that moment. He got out his phone and then called Liz.

"Hey, Liz, what's up?" Franklin said.

"Franklin, I think I need to talk to you," Liz said. "Can you meet me at the university? I am not in the mood to fuck right now. It's something that I really need to talk to you about. Are you available?"

"Fo sho, girl, I'll go get you," Franklin said.

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit," Liz said. She then hung up and took a deep breath. The tension was high at that moment, as she really wanted to let Franklin know how she felt about him, but then there's the other perspective that she felt that she was just another booty call to him. She had been hurt by two guys before, and though she was willing to take rejection, the fact that she gave this guy her body multiple times in a no-strings-attached relationship was hard for to grasp, especially when she started feeling this way for the past week. The thought in her head that said "Tell me you love me!" was indicative of all of it.

But she had to be prepared if he shoots her down. She was a big girl. She had dealt with physical and verbal abuse from Alonzo, so if Franklin were to tell her that he wasn't interested, she had to take it well. It was only a matter of time.


	2. Letting it Out

Liz stood on the sidewalk right near the flag pole at the ULSA campus as she waited for Franklin to come pick her up. She had noted to Franklin that she wasn't in the mood to have sex, not even in the least bit. It wasn't out of the question, but she mainly wanted to talk about something important with him. She wanted to let him know about her feelings for him.

It has been often said that any "friends with benefits" relationship usually doesn't work out in the end because one person ends up feeling something more for the other. While their relationship was mainly that for a while, it was only a matter of time until at least one party started to feel something else besides having a platonic yet sexual relationship with the other person.

Liz was a pretty girl who was no stranger to getting male attention. She had guys from her classes try to hit on her, but she wasn't interested, or at least she wasn't interested in dating at that moment. All the stuff that she went through with Alonzo was enough to put dating on hold for her. It didn't help that Kyle often cheated on her with his tennis students.

 _Why am I feeling this way for him?_ She thought to herself. _I am not ready to have a new boyfriend. Alonzo beat me up, Kyle cheated on me. What makes Franklin different from those two? I am sure that Franklin had been involved in some shady stuff. Alonzo did the same thing. Why must I be subjected to gangsters and hoodlums? But there is something about Franklin. What is it?_

But how could she NOT have those thoughts about him? She instantly gained an attraction towards him after he taught Alonzo a lesson. It was clear that the attraction led to her giving him her phone number and it was also clear that she was sexually attracted to him. Otherwise she would not have all those sexy naked nights with him, or even days as she had sex with him even in the middle of the day. Some of the time she even suspected that it wasn't long since he had sex with another woman as Franklin had the smell of fragrance on him, as if he had sex with a stripper that same day.

She clearly thought that Franklin was handsome and knew that he had money, as he was able to afford a car like the one he had. Of course, there was more to the attractiveness besides looks and money, as she wondered what it was about him that was drawing her to him more than before. She had to find out somehow or someway.

After she had all those thoughts, a white Bravado Buffalo pulled up with Franklin in the driver's seat. Liz approached the door to the passenger side. She put on her seatbelt and then looked towards Franklin.

"Hey, how are you doing today?" she said.

"I'm good, girl," Franklin said. "What's crackin' on your end?"

"Nothing, can we go somewhere where we can talk?" she said. "I'm also kind of hungry."

"Sure, I guess, I'm just a little surprised because I usually take you back to your house so that we can fuck," he said. "I'm hungry for some Up-n-Atom. Does that sound good to you?"

"Sure, I love Up-n-Atom," she said. "I could go for one of those burgers."

They were off. Franklin drove away from the campus. He almost was about to turn south, but then Liz called him on it and then Franklin remembered that they were headed to the burger place. The nearest one was on Vinewood Boulevard. It showed that he had a force of habit of just driving her back to her apartment on Strawberry to go have sex.

"So what did you do today?" Liz said.

"Oh, I just handled some shit, hung out with my boys," Franklin said. "That kind of stuff. I don't usually have a lot to do, except maybe handle some business with the businesses that I own, whether it's the cab company or the weed store on Vespucci Beach."

"Wait, you run Smoke on the Water?" she said. "Maybe you should hook me up and we can smoke together."

Franklin looked at her with a mix of confusion and a bit of a smile coming on. He had no idea where all these questions were coming from. It was even a shock that she didn't reach for his pants to give him a blowjob on the way.

"Well, baby, I got all the best weed I can get," Franklin said. "I can hook you up or you can get a taste of what I can provide."

Liz smirked at him and then moved her left hand and cupped his right thigh, but she didn't move it further up. She turned her right shoulder a bit as she gazed at his dark skin, while he turned and looked at her pretty face and tan skin all the way down. No doubt that this girl was a breathtaking beauty, but for some reason, he, too, was not in the mood to have her body on him. They were hungry, but for food, not for each other. Though they wanted to be in each other's company.

Once they reached Las Lagunas Boulevard and Clinton Avenue, Liz looked around and saw how glamorous the area was. Being that she lived in the ghetto, she didn't really go to other parts of Los Santos. The farthest she usually traveled to was to the University. Not to say that she hadn't been to Vinewood or Rockford Hills, but what could a girl like her be doing in those parts, despite having the beauty of some of the girls found in those parts? However, it seemed that her good looks were au natural in comparison to the other women in Rockford Hills or Vinewood.

"Listen, I'm finna go in the drive thru," Franklin said. "Or do you want to go inside?"

Liz sat there and wondered what the better option was. While she wanted to sit down and have a face-to-face conversation with Franklin, going inside probably would not be a good idea because there would be more people around and she wanted to talk in private. Plus, it would be weird if she were to talk about their tawdry fling in public.

"Let's just go in the drive thru," Liz said. "I would like to have a foot long chili dog and some fries."

Franklin quickly turned to her, "Damn girl, I didn't know you ate like that."

"Well, there are some things about me that you don't know," she said as she moved her face closer to his. "How about if I teach you more about me?"

Liz raised her eyebrows twice at that remark. "Sometimes I'll have the triple burger from here."

Franklin was even more shocked at having heard that. He looked at her up and down and noticed how thin she was. For her to eat some big food like that made him wonder how she was able to keep it off. She clearly wore clothes that were small. Some tops she wore even exposed her stomach, which was rather flat. But no matter what she ate, she maintained a rather slim physique, at least on her waistline.

 _Man, I wonder if she eats the Heartstopper from Burger Shot._ Franklin thought to himself. _That shit is too much, even for me._

Franklin gave their orders and then moved up to the window to pay and pick up their food.

"So where are we going to eat?" Liz asked.

Being that they were in the middle of Vinewood, Franklin knew of one place that they could go to.

"I know a park that's close by," Franklin said. "How 'bout we go get our grub on over there."

"Sounds good," Liz said. "I don't really come out to this part of town much, but it's always nice to check out other parts of LS."

Franklin got out of the lot and at the intersection turned north on Las Lagunas to head to the direction that goes towards North Sheldon Avenue, where the park was. He felt it would be nice to have lunch out with some nice scenery. The question on his mind was what Liz wanted to tell him. To him, this was still just lunch between two friends, though there were benefits in that friendship.

Right when they arrived to the park, Frank found a parking spot and parked his car and they both got out. Liz found a picnic table to sit at so that they could eat and discuss what was on her mind. The first thing that they were going to do was eat their lunch.

"You know, I rarely come out to these parts of town," Liz said. "You sure know your way around here. We could have gone to the Up-n-Atom on Del Perro."

"Well, sometimes you find yourself out here, or even all the way to Blaine County," Franklin said.

"What's out there? I've never been there," Liz said.

"A lot of meth-heads, I'll tell you that," Franklin said.

Liz took a bite out of her chili dog and then looked right at Franklin with a smile. Franklin bit his burger and had a confused look on his face, but a minor smirk rose a bit after he was done chewing his food. The gaze from Liz made him wonder what was going on with her. He was a bit surprised that she didn't ask him to go straight to her apartment. Nor did he receive oral pleasure from her on the way over there. Plus, before he left the Vanilla Unicorn after receiving a lap dance, he had received the text message. There was something that she wanted besides some fast food.

"Okay, I want to know, girl," Franklin said. "It said on the text message that you wanted to tell me something. I wonder why I had to drag both our asses out here. You could have said something while we was in the car, but we here now. What did you want to tell me?"

After Liz finished her hot dog, she took a swig of her drink, which was Sprunk. She then took a deep breath and finally let it out.

"Okay, Franklin, I want to know something," she said. "What do you think of me?"

"What? What you talkin' about?" he said.

"I mean, what do you think of me as something more than just a booty call? Than just some girl you just want bang?" she said.

"Okay, where is this coming from?"

"While we were fucking last night, I started to think of something, like maybe the sex had real passion in it, rather than just some casual freaky shit that we usually do."

Franklin's eyes widened as a crooked smile cracked from his jawline. "Go on, I'm listening."

"I think maybe I am starting to see you as more than just a fuck buddy, like maybe I like you in that way, like I really want us to maybe go on a real date."

"Whoa, hold up, are you saying what I think you're saying?"

"Yes, I am."

The look on Franklin's face was full of confusion and surprise, like he didn't know how to respond to that. Liz sat there with butterflies in her system. After having gotten that off her chest, she wasn't sure if she could eat the rest of her fries, because she admitted something to Franklin's face about what she had felt for him.

"I don't know about this."

"Listen, I understand. If you don't want…"

"No, it's not that, girl," he interrupted her and reached for his cup of Sprunk, as he ordered the same soda. "I mean why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

"I wasn't sure if you would see me that way," Liz said. "I am sure that there are other girls you are fucking. I smelled some perfume on you one day. You smelled like a stripper."

A smile grew on Franklin's face but covered his mouth with his hand to stop him from laughing at that comment. She now knew that Franklin had been having casual sex with strippers as well. Who knew how many nights and how many times he had all that sex with Infernus, Sapphire, Nikki, and Juliet? At least Franklin didn't try to push the others like Fufu, Cheetah, and Chastity into doing anything because they didn't do that. He sure as hell didn't try anything with Peach because he suspected that she used to be a man. Not that he cared about that kind of stuff, but he usually preferred to have sex with women.

Of course, each and every time they banged, Franklin always had a condom and he always got himself tested. He wasn't stupid and he wasn't ready to impregnate a woman with a child that he couldn't raise at the moment.

"Listen, I just wanted to tell you how I felt," she said. "If you don't feel the same way, I understand."

"Easy, girl, who said that I don't?" he said.

Franklin started to see why Liz leaned over to kiss him on the lips that same morning. Though they had their wild makeout sessions before getting each other's clothes off many times, the kiss seemed a little different, like maybe she wanted him to stay and was saying bye to him, as if once he left her apartment, she would miss him. If only he knew how she felt that whole day.

"So what is it?" Liz said.

"I don't know if I'm boyfriend material, though," Franklin said. "I mean I do like you and it's more than just for your body and that you're cute. You do seem like a great girl, but I don't think I'm the type of guy that you would want."

"Why do you say that?" she said.

"Come on, I have capped motherfuckers and boosted cars," Franklin said. "I've also jacked a bunch of niggas in my lifetime."

"I've experienced some things like that, too," she said. "Remember, Alonzo was a psycho. He used to beat me, for one thing. I am sure that he had killed some eses out there. As for you fucking other girls, at least for the most part it was no-strings-attached with us. Not like when I caught another ex-boyfriend of mine fucking one of his clients on the job when I tried to surprise him at work."

"Whoa, you caught another ex fuckin' another bitch?" Franklin said as he started to laugh. "Did you catch him fuckin' his bitch in the office or something?"

"No, he was a tennis coach who often coached the wives of some rich guys," she said. "There was even one woman who had her own tennis court and went to her house. The time I caught him with his pants down and in another bitch was at the courts by the ULSA campus. I thought that because I had class that same day, I would go surprise him and…"

"You caught him in the act," Franklin said.

"Yup," she said.

Unbeknownst to Liz, Franklin suspected the tennis coach that she dated had to have been the same guy who he and Michael went after that one time. If it was, in no way was he surprised at what Liz had told him. After all, he came by his friend Michael's house when he happened to be caught messing around with Michael's wife.

"Just out of curiosity, but how did you meet the tennis coach?" Franklin said.

"I met him on LoveMeet," Liz said. "I figured I would try online dating because I was so used to dating the same wannabe thugs from the area, whether they were Vagos, Ballas, CGFs, or even the Marabunta Grande guys from El Burro Heights. Some guys always thought they were hard that they tried to impress me. I wanted someone different."

"Yet, you found that he was a dog like a lot of other guys. I mean I know that I was fucking some strippers, but I wasn't with nobody at the time."

"But I have one question, would you date me?" Liz said.

"Sure, I guess," he said.

"You guess?"

There was no denying how Franklin felt at the moment. His last real relationship ended and the girl he was with left him for some doctor. He wasn't sure if he was ready for anything like that at the moment and if his ex were to come back, he wouldn't know how to respond to it. Liz was a good girl, and he saw that, but he wasn't sure if he would be good enough for her. He had done a lot of bad stuff, whether it was killing someone, stealing a car, robbing a liquor store, or even taking part in a big robbery, he didn't think he would be right for her. Though he suspected that crazy ex of hers to be a gang member, he was a gang member that had gone up in the criminal ranks of something even better.

"Okay, I think I would, but I need to think about this," Franklin said. "I do like you, though, and it's more than just wanting to tap your ass. Though your ass is very nice."

Liz blushed at that comment as a warm feeling rushed to her chest that very moment. The pounding started to rise as goosebumps emerged from her soft tan skin.

"I would like for us to go on a date, a real one," Liz said. "I started to think about you all day and all night recently and sometimes the feelings just come right to you."

"I heard that," he said.

Franklin wondered about this, now that this was brought to his attention. Despite having known each other for a few months up until now, there was one question on his mind.

"What do you like to do?"

"I am open to anything, actually," she said. "I would like to check out Bahama Mamas West. I like to dance, and I also enjoy going to the movies. I heard a lot of good things about that movie called 'Meltdown.'"

"Well, I hope you finna tell me when you ain't busy," Franklin replied. "Then maybe I'll swing by your crib and pick your fine ass up."

A smile slowly rose on her face, as she tilted her head sideways at the suggestion.

"Why don't we do this tomorrow?"

"Fo sho, baby," he said.

Liz's face turned red just from that remark.

"I got two questions, though, and I'm about to hit you with one that's on my mind right now," he said. "How do you eat like that and not gain weight?"

"I have a fast metabolism," she said. "I guess I'm one of the lucky ones."

"I hear ya on that one, girl," he said. "The other question is where does your last name come from? You look all Mexican, girl."

"My grandpa, as in my dad's dad, is from Scotland and married a Mexican girl at some point, and then my dad, who is only half Mexican married another Mexican girl, you get the rest."

"Makes a lot of sense to me."

"It's kind of hard to explain where the MacAllen comes from, especially when people are surprised that my last name isn't common ones like Lopez, Espinoza, stuff like that."

"Well, that's an interesting idea," he said.

After a while, it was time to take Liz back to her apartment at the Tahitian complex on Strawberry and Carson. The two people got into the white Buffalo, but before Franklin started the car, Liz reached for her purse. She got out a can of something and sprayed it into her mouth.

I don't want my breath smelling or tasting like chili that I had on that hot dog.

Franklin started his car and put it on West Coast Classics and then turned his attention towards Liz, who smiled at him. The music started blasting.

"Is this good for you?" Franklin said.

"Oh, _anything_ is good!" she said. "I don't give a shit what you play. I'll listen to anything."

As soon as they rolled off, the DJ on the radio started talking.

_A'ight, all you gangstas out there, that was Mista Grimm, Warren G, and Nate Dogg with "Indo Smoke." I'm about to put on some more of that gangsta shit after these messages._

After the commercial break, the DJ announced another song to come on.

"Oh shit, that's my shit!" Franklin said. "I remember bumpin' this when I was 10 or 11."

The song that started blaring was "Bouncin'" from Road Dawgs and Mack 10. Liz looked at Franklin and bumped her head after hearing the opening beat and bumped it a little fast when the first verse started. It was going to be quite a drive from Vinewood to Strawberry, but Liz didn't mind if it meant spending some of that time with Franklin. Surprisingly enough, he turned his face towards her and smiled a bit, like maybe he started to feel something for her, if he wasn't already.

It took a while for Franklin to get Liz back home, but he got her there. Right when he pulled up, the song that was playing at that moment had ended.

A'ight, y'all, hope y'all enjoyed that West Coast jam from back in da day. That was "County Jail" from AllFrumTha-I. Keep it locked on this station. I got bills to pay right now.

He stopped the car, and Liz turned to face Franklin once again.

"Aren't you going to come in?" she said.

"Nah, baby, not today," he said. "I hope you be ready for tomorrow, 'cuz I'm takin' yo fine ass out clubbin'."

"Sounds good to me," she said. She then leaned over and kissed him on the lips. The sensation in her bones was tingling, enough that she wrapped her right arm around him while he sat in the driver's seat. However, he reached for her back with his left arm and ran his hand down her back as they kissed each other multiple times before she got out. She even felt a slight poke going towards her front midsection.

She then backed away from him and looked at him some more.

"I'll be ready tomorrow," she said. "I will look my best, so you better, too."

"Oh, fo' real, you know how I do it," he said.

She stepped out of the car and then walked towards her apartment, but not without turning around to look at Franklin one last time. She was a bit surprised that Franklin didn't come in for some hot coffee, but one could only guess that the reason behind it was that he felt like he wanted something more from her, too. Only time will tell.

From across the street, a black Gauntlet was seen parked right there, as a man in the driver's seat looked at the white car roll up and then took off. The man looked Hispanic and was wearing a gray and yellow jacket. He also watched when Liz and Franklin made out a bit and then when back to her apartment.

_Pinche puto. Who does that guy think he is? The man thought to himself. Liz is MY woman. What makes that mayate think he can mess around with my girl? He should stick to his own kind, too. I'm going to get that motherfucker. He got lucky last time. He won't be so lucky this time._


	3. First Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Franklin is going to take Liz on a date.

It had only been a day since Franklin had seen Liz after he dropped her off at her apartment, but that didn't mean that they didn't talk since then. The previous day, Franklin came up with the idea of taking Liz out to dance at Bahama Mamas West.

After having lunch with her the previous day, Franklin had started to think that maybe he should give this girl a chance. She admitted right to his face that she feels something for him. He was unsure how to respond to it, but deep down, he felt something for her as well, but he needed to also see if those feelings were real.

He had not been on the dating scene since his last girlfriend. It hasn't been that long since his ex-girlfriend came to see him, but not for any visit or anything like that, but to tell him that a mutual friend was in trouble, oh, and to also berate him about his lifestyle, and then also say that he wasn't doing much for his friends. If anything, that was hypocrisy on her end, especially since she left Franklin for a doctor. Granted, he didn't earn that lifestyle through legal means, but at least he found himself getting out of the hood, but then she still gave him a bunch of shit for it.

At that point, Franklin realized that he could do so much better than her, even though he still cared about her.

But what about Liz? What was it about her that made him unsure about pursuing anything like that? He was not opposed to it, by any means. In fact, he liked her, but it wasn't just because of her body. If that were the case, he would have caught feelings for Nikki or Infernus, or even Juliet or Sapphire, and that would not have been a good idea for him.

Liz was different, though. How was he sure? He could have easily gone inside and had some sexy naked time with her the previous day after dropping her off from their little lunch date. But he didn't. Franklin didn't wait for her to go down on him while he took her to Up-N-Atom. So maybe these were signs that maybe that there was more to it than just sex, but he had to know for sure.

Inside a mansion on Vinewood Hills, Franklin went through his closet and found a gray jacket and white shirt, as well as a pair of gray and black plaid pants. He even found some dress shoes to wear. It was the same suit that he wore when he took part in the jewelry store job, but it was still as good as new as he rarely wore that outfit since that heist.

He got dressed and then his phone rang. He picked it up and saw that it wasn't who was expecting. He answered the call anyway.

"Hey, Mike, what's happenin', dog?" he said.

"Frank, what's been up, pal?" said Michael, a friend of Franklin's. "I was wondering if you were doing anything right now."

"Actually, yeah, I'm kinda busy," Franklin said. "I am going on a date."

"A date? Who's the lucky lady?" said Michael.

"Oh, someone who I met while handling some shit," Franklin said. "I don't think you know her."

"Well, I'm not going to tell you to cancel your date, F," Michael said. "Let me know when you're not busy. I was wondering if you wanted to come over. Amanda's been wanting you to come by sometime and have dinner with us. But tonight, I was wondering if you wanted to go grab a drink. Maybe when the time comes, you can bring your lady."

Just hearing that comment made Franklin chuckle. He wasn't sure if it would go any further than tonight.

"A'ight, I'll hit you up at another time," Franklin said. "Holla at me, dog."

"Alright, man, take care," Michael said.

The conversation had ended and then his phone had buzzed again, except it was a text message this time. This wasn't just from anybody, though. It was from Liz.

_Hey, just letting you know. I am getting ready for tonight right now. I hope to see you soon._

Little did Liz know that Franklin was already ready to go. All he had to do was get in his white Buffalo and go down to Strawberry and pick her up. Then his phone rang once again, and once again, it wasn't from who was expecting.

Franklin picked up. "Lamar, what's happenin', nigga?"

"Franklin, what happened yesterday? You just left me and Trevor all stuck at the strip club."

"I ain't done shit, nigga," Franklin replied. "You said you would hang out with him after I had to go handle some shit. Why you trippin' all of a sudden?"

"Dog, you gotta understand," Lamar said. "Some of those fine ass bitches were axin' 'bout you, like that white girl Juliet or even Nikki. She said that you just took off and turned down fuckin' her. If I had known before, I would have fucked that bitch myself."

"That's what you called me for? Are you for real?" Franklin said. "Come on, man. Ain't nothin' goin' on between me and Nikki, or me and Juliet, or any of those other strippers. Sure, I fucked them, but that don't mean shit."

"Hey, I'm just callin' like I see it, dog," Lamar said. "You always were a bit disloyal."

"Oh, no, not this shit again," Franklin said. "Look, I got some shit goin' on right now, dog. I got a date in a little bit. So maybe I'll hit you later."

"A date, huh?" Lamar said. "Who's the girl?"

"I don't think you know her, and does it really matter?" Franklin said.

"Man, I was just makin' a little conversation, see how my homeboy is doin'," Lamar said. "Now you won't tell me who you be dating?"

"It's just a date with a girl who I met when I was handlin' some of my shit," Franklin said. "Ain't no thang."

"Oh, it's like that, huh? You won't give your homie the deets about a girl who you be datin' and shit? I bet you still ain't over Tanisha's ass. Shit, I bet you tryin' yo hardest to get over her ass, but you just can't."

"Fuck you, man. Listen, I got to go," Franklin said. "I'll hit you later about the details. Stay up, playa."

"I should be tellin' you to stay up, and I know I'm the real playa here," Lamar said.

"Got to go, man, I'll talk to you later," Franklin said.

The conversation had ended and Franklin was ready to take off, but first he had to check on his dog Chop and make sure he was well fed. He got out through the door in the back of his bedroom and walked alongside the pool and checked Chop's bowl to see if he had any food. It turned out he had plenty, so there was nothing to worry about.

He went back inside and locked up the house so that he could go pick up his date. He clicked the keys to his Buffalo to unlock it and then entered the car and started it up.

Meanwhile, at The Tahitian on Strawberry, Liz was standing in front of the mirror of her bathroom. She put on some lipstick and some eye shadow, as well as a little bit of blush. She wanted to look her best for tonight. It was the first time since she had gone out on any kind of date. Maybe not as long as it had been since Franklin had dated, but because she had been in an on-and-off kind of relationship with Alonzo, she realized that he didn't take her out that much. She wondered if her last actual date was with Kyle, which was during a time when she was during an off period with Alonzo.

She wanted to look her best, though. She was really feeling something for Franklin, enough that she wanted to doll herself up for that night. She didn't want to put on too much or else she would look like a clown, and that wouldn't be a good sign, now would it?

She even looked in her wardrobe and decided between an outfit that had a tight-fitting top and some tight pants, or a nice short red dress. It was a tough decision but in the end, she chose the dress. As she was getting ready, her phone buzzed. She picked up her phone and saw that it was a text message from Franklin.

_Hey, girl. On my way._

Just reading that put a smile on her face. It was definitely obvious that she was feeling something fierce for him, enough that hearing from him made her smile and that she wanted to look her best. What could be a sign for her that he was possibly feeling for her to was that he didn't come in for sex the previous day. There was more to a relationship besides sex, and even though they had a lot of sex before, they decided not to do it the previous day.

Night was falling at that very moment and she awaited the arrival of this man who had won her heart. The night was beginning as she stood outside The Tahitian and looked around and suddenly, the white Buffalo had rolled up in front of the apartment complex. Who else could be driving that vehicle?

Right when the car stopped, she walked towards it and heard the door unlocked. She sat on the passenger seat and looked right at Franklin with a smile on her face. He looked back at her with a similar expression. Because it started to get dark, he wasn't able to tell that her face got red by looking at him.

It was a Friday night, so the nightlife was going to be wild, whether they would go to Bahama Mamas West, Clappers, or the Eclipse Lounge. Franklin decided to go with some familiar territory, as he had not been the other two places. Even then, he mainly went to one of those clubs to get his drink on, rather than dance. If anything, this might be the first he took a girl out to dance at that club.

"How was your day today?" Liz initiated the conversation.

"It was good," Franklin replied. "How was your day, girl?"

"Oh, it was good, but I think tonight will be better," she said.

Franklin had it on Radio Los Santos, but he felt like he wanted to listen to something else. He put it on the Non-Stop-Pop station. He didn't deny that he would listen to that station from time to time, sometimes to get his R&B fix, but some of the other material they played he didn't mind. Right when they were about to take off, it was still in its commercial break.

"So where are you taking me?" she asked.

"I am taking you to Bahama Mamas West," he replied. "I figured that I try to get my dance on at that place. I have been there, but mostly to get a drink, and that's it."

"I have driven by there, but I don't think I've been there," Liz said. "I have been to other clubs like The Vault, though."

"You sure you never been to other parts like Blaine County before?" Franklin said.

"I don't think I know much about Blaine County," Liz said. "I have passed through there, like when going through the Western Highway, but I don't know what is out there, like I can't name a certain place out there."

"Well, there are so many places to see out there, even with all the meth-heads roaming the area, but that's mainly in Sandy Shores and all that shit."

"Maybe you can take me," Liz said.

She was really seeing that there may be a future between those two, enough that she wanted to see other parts of Southern San Andreas. She didn't really know too much about the northern parts of LS when Franklin took her to Vinewood to go to Up-N-Atom.

What was it about him, though? She really wanted to know. I mean, to her, he seemed a lot saner compared to her last ex, and while he messed around with other women while they had their no-strings-attached relationship, he wasn't unfaithful like the other guy. When she looked at him, she felt like a slight ting in her veins and then went towards her chest. She felt wordless around him, despite trying to make conversation with him.

"Well, that wouldn't be such a bad idea," Franklin said. "Shit, I ain't been out to Sandy Shores or Paleto Bay much until a few months ago. There's a first time for all kinds of shit."

On the radio, the DJ Cara Delevingne started talking.

_Okay, here's out next track on Non-Stop-Pop-FM, it's "Your Body" from Pretty Ricky._

"Oh shit, I forgot about this song," Franklin said. "This was all over the place when I was in high school."

"I remember this song, too," Liz said. "I didn't know you listened to this station."

"Eh, only sometimes," he said. "It ain't too bad."

* * *

They drove down Marathon Avenue to find a place to park. Once they found a place to park, both Franklin and Liz exited the car to get inside the club. It was still a little early, as the line to get in wasn't so long. It was only a few minutes before 8 pm. It gets crazier as the night progresses and the line gets longer. Good thing that they got there when they did.

Franklin stood there in line as he waited for Liz to catch up to him. He looked her up and down and down and up again.

"By the way, you lookin' good tonight," he said.

"Thank you, so do you," Liz said with a smile on her face. It became clear to Franklin that she cared about how she looked because she wanted to make an impression on him.

Time had passed until they got to the door and the bouncers had to check on some things. Franklin didn't come strapped, as he left any weapons in his car or even at his house. He and Liz were cleared to enter and he paid off for both of them to get in.

It was still early in the night, but it wasn't long until the place became packed. The place had a white and blue light atmosphere to it, and the dance floor had lights on it, like how a lot of old disco clubs had during that era. Whoever designed this club wanted to give it a retro feel to it and it showed.

"Hey, you want to get a drink first," Franklin asked.

"Sure," Liz said.

The two walked up to the bar, where it had a sign on the wall that had the club's insignia on it. Both of them sat on the stools that were right in front of the counter. A female bartender was doing the honors tonight in serving drinks. She looked like she was Mexican, and also looked familiar to one of the two parties.

"Hey, Liz?" the bartender said. "Is that you?"

"Lupe, I didn't know you worked here," Liz said.

"I just started here about a few weeks ago, needed some extra work, you know how it is. Who's your friend?"

"Hi, I'm Franklin," he said. "Nice meeting you. I'm here with Liz tonight."

"Oh, okay, nice meeting you, too," Lupe said. "What can I get for you?"

"I'll have me some Logger," Franklin said. "What about you, girl?"

"I'll have a Tequila Sunrise with a lime on it," Liz said.

"Coming right up," Lupe said.

Franklin turned around and saw how the club had suddenly become crowded. It was definitely a fact that this was one of the most happening places in Los Santos. He had heard that the club originated in Liberty City, as his cousin Tavell lives out there and goes to Vespucci University.

"Great turnout, huh?" Liz said.

"What?!" Franklin couldn't hear her well because the music started to blare right then.

"I said it's a great turnout, right?"

"Oh, fo sho, baby," he replied.

The drinks had now been served and Franklin quickly took a drink of his beer, while Liz took a sip of hers. No one knew how long of a night this would be, but these types of businesses usually run until sometime in the early morning. This wasn't like the Vanilla Unicorn, but strip clubs also run during the daytime, so it was different.

Franklin took another swig of his beer. He was going to try not to drink too much as he had to drive Liz back to her apartment. Sure, he had gotten out of bars with his friends Michael, Trevor, Lamar, and Michael's son Jimmy while he was drunk, but he knew when to drive and not drive. A lot of the time, he would take his time to sober up before he got into his car. Otherwise he would take a cab for both of them to get there. Being that he owned the Downtown Cab Company, he got those rides for free.

Liz took another drink but it wasn't long until she was finished with it. Tequila Sunrises are not really that strong of a drink anyway, and she wasn't planning on drinking too much that night anyway.

"Hey, let's go dance," Liz said.

"Oh, I heard that, let's go," Franklin said.

The two went to the dance floor while Lupe, the bartender watched as those two walked away. It was clear that Liz and Lupe knew each other and also appeared to be friends, but she also looked at Liz with some kind of concern. Not because she was on a date with a black man, far from the case. She didn't care about anything regarding race as she knew that Liz had dated a white guy, too. But she also knew Liz's other ex. Unbeknownst to Liz, Lupe had run into Alonzo sometime recently. He had asked her about his ex-girlfriend in such an aggressive way. In a lot of ways, she needed to let her know about this before he gets to her, or her date, because she also knew what he had done to other men in Liz's life.

The two started to dance on the dance floor. The DJ had started playing "Put 'Em High" from StoneBridge and Therese. Franklin didn't think of himself as much of a dancer, but he tried his best while watching Liz do her thing. He started to smile, like he was impressed by her dance moves. She even turned her back towards him and started freak dancing. Just like that, he managed to get closer and join in on the action. He had done some of that before. She moved her body up with her back towards him and he got closer and put his left hand on her left shoulder while they were in motion. She turned her head to her left and shifted her eyes towards his face. She put his right hand on her right hip and they continued to dance as the song was still playing.

It wasn't long until the DJ started playing another song called "How Would You Feel" from David Morales and Lea-Lorien. It was almost like it was mix of some sort. Right then, Liz turned her body around to face Franklin and while they continued to dance, he put his right hand to her face and she did the exact same thing. Just as Franklin got a little closer, Liz felt a slight poke, and then looked right up at him. A smile of slight embarrassment rose on his face, but she shook her head with a smile and mouthed, "Don't worry about it."

After about an hour, they were sitting at a table and looking at each other and tried to talk, despite the loud music being played.

"Wow, I haven't had this much fun in a long time," Franklin said. "You sure got some moves, girl."

"You ain't seen nothin' yet, sweetie," Liz said in a seductive tone. "We should try going to the other places. I am curious about the club life in other parts."

"Well, there are some places that I rolled by but ain't never been inside, ya know?" he said. "Anyway, are you hungry? I'm kinda gettin' there."

"Ya know, just give it a bit and then we can go," she said.

In the entrance area, three young Mexican men walked inside the club and some of them had some yellow on their clothes. One guy was wearing a yellow button-down shirt but it was fully buttoned and had some black slacks on. Another had a black and yellow jacket on and black pants also. While the third man wore a black and yellow striped shirt with some gray pants. They were clearly there to have some fun.

While they were still sitting at the table talking, Liz looked up and saw those three guys and told Franklin that she needed to go to the bathroom. He told her that he'll wait, but she took off in such a hurry that it seemed less like she really had to go. What could have caused her to excuse herself so quickly?

She walked quickly to the restroom, but as she was about to enter, Lupe was seen getting out of there.

"Liz, what's going on? You seem jumpy," she said.

"I have to go to the bathroom really bad," Liz said.

"This doesn't seem like that kind of emergency, what's going on?"

Liz took a deep breath and let it out. "Okay, I think I saw some of Alonzo's friends come in."

"Yeah, I've seen them in here sometimes," her friend said. "I don't like them coming in here because they have given me some shit about not giving them free drinks or something."

"Well, I'm a little scared right now," Liz said while she was shaking. "If they see me with Franklin, then word would go back to Alonzo, and then I would have to deal with him again."

"I know, that guy was an asshole, your date seems cool, though," Lupe said.

"Yeah, I like him and I think he likes me, too," she said.

"Look, I'm about to go back to the bar, because that they will harass me for the drinks again," Lupe said. "I will distract them. You and your date just get out of here."

"Please stall them for me, okay?" A good amount of blood rushed through her system rapidly, like she could pass out at any moment.

"I will, just go," Lupe said.

Liz took another deep breath. Things will be just fine. Think positive.

She turned around and went back to the table where Franklin was. She looked up and saw that the three guys were at the bar. She continued to look to see if her friend would get back to work.

It wasn't long until Lupe went back to the bar, and Liz then turned her attention towards Franklin.

"Hey, baby, I'm hungry let's go grab a bite right now," she said rather quickly.

"Damn, girl, are you okay?" Franklin responded. "You seem jumpy right now."

"I'm fine, I'm just hungry," she said quickly as she looked away.

"If that's the case, then let's bounce," Franklin said.

Liz walked quickly towards the door as she led the way for Franklin. She didn't want to turn around.

Back at the bar, the guy with the jacket was looking around the club to see some ladies he would like to talk up, and then he slowed down as a suspicious look on his face. He moved his head forward and noticed a Mexican girl in a red dress leaving with a black man in a gray suit.

"Hey, Jose," said the guy. "Isn't that Alonzo's old girl?"

The guy with the all yellow shirt turned around but was already too late as they had just walked out the door.

"Man, Cesar, you seein' shit," Jose said. "Man, I swear you wanted some of Alonzo's ex. I always saw you looking at her."

"I swear it was her, homes," Cesar said.

Lupe then called the attention to the three men. "Excuse, what do you want? You have to pay for your drinks, it's the rules."

"Lupe, what's your problem, esa?" said the guy with the black and yellow striped shirt.

"I'm just doing my job, Luis," Lupe said. "You have to respect a woman at work."

"Okay, but I'm paying for these fools tonight," Luis said.

Outside the club, Liz took another deep breath. Franklin turned his head towards her with a look of concern on his face.

 _Something ain't right about this girl right now._ He thought. It was true that something was amiss about her, but she wasn't being clear about it.

"Listen, if you want me to take you home instead, I'll do that," Franklin said.

"No, it's fine, let's go eat," Liz said.

"No, I can tell something is wrong, what is it?" Franklin said.

"I think I saw some of Alonzo's friends at the club," she said.

"Fo real?" he said. "Shit, I guess that could make anybody jumpy."

"This isn't a joke," Liz said. "I am just really scared right now."

Franklin sighed at that comment, but he was able to see what she was feeling at that moment.

"Listen, if you don't want to go back, I understand," Franklin said.

"I had a great time," Liz said. "It's just that I'm scared that word will go back to Alonzo about this. I know those three guys. My friend also knows them."

"Well, why don't you try talking to them to mind their own business?" he asked.

"You don't get it. Those guys aren't very mature and if they say shit to Alonzo about this, he's going to come after me and he might come after you."

"I ain't afraid of that fool, I won't let him near you," Franklin said.

The tension had eased from Liz's system after hearing him say that. She sat still from that remark, as he was willing to protect from a crazy jealous ex.

"Look, it might not be safe to stay at your crib for a bit," Franklin said. "Either you can stay at mine, or you can try calling some friends or family to see if you can lie low."

"You know, I can try staying at your place tonight," Liz said. "Also, you remember dropping me off in Little Seoul? That is where my friend Lupe lives, the same one who works the bar. I don't think those guys would even think of going there."

"You know, well I'm not sure about that. Come to my place. I don't think they'll even think you're there. Just stay there for this weekend and then maybe it will die down."

"Okay, that sounds better I think," she said, even though she was unsure of this idea. "You know, I don't think I've been to your place."

"Well, you about to find out for yourself," he said.

The first thing that they did was go to Strawberry so that Liz could get some clothes for her to wear as she was going to lie low for at least a couple of days. Knowing fully well how those guys were, as she knew them personally, there was a 90 percent chance that one of them would tell her ex-boyfriend about it.

Franklin stopped the car and she went inside the apartment to change her clothes and to grab a few clothes to take with her. Unbeknownst to him, that same black Gauntlet was parked nearby. It was nighttime, so he didn't see it, plus he had something on his mind and it was about her.

Man, I see that I'm starting to care about this girl, enough that I'm finna let her stay at my crib to avoid some bullshit. I really am starting to feel for her. I want to protect her and I won't let her out of my sight.

Liz got out of the apartment with different clothes on from what she wore at the club and with a bag of clothes that she was going to take with her.

From inside the Gauntlet, that same guy from before was watching her enter the car and also the car taking off. He looked at Franklin and Liz with a lot of disdain.

_That cab driver thinks he's so slick, huh? First she dated that gringo tennis coach, and now she thinks she could mess with some negro cab driver. I'll show him who's boss._

It was going to be quite a drive from Strawberry all the way to Vinewood Hills, but that didn't matter. The man in the Gauntlet tailed Franklin's Buffalo from that point all the way until they got to Vinewood. The man realized that this guy was not just some cab driver, he was living large. He proceeded to follow them without their knowledge and when they got to Whispymound Drive, the man slowly drove to keep distant to at least get an idea where Franklin was living.

 _Oh, so she likes those rich guys, huh? He thinks he's so big, but just cuz he got money don't mean shit. I will get that fucker._ The man thought.

The two got out of the car and went inside the house. Liz looked around and was amazed at well Franklin was living. He has a mansion in an expensive part of LS. Franklin turned on the radio and put it on Radio Los Santos, where "We Own It" from 2 Chainz and Wiz Khalifa started playing.

"Wow, I didn't know you lived out here," she said.

He replied, "Well, I used to live on Strawberry myself. I grew up in Chamberlain Hills, but I managed to make a good amount of dough and you know it goes."

"Well, this is nice living, and I see you have a pool, too," Liz said. "Anyway, thank you for this."

"It ain't no thang, girl," Franklin said as he looked at her.

The moment those two locked eyes, it was then that Franklin came to a realization that he really did have feelings for her. The exact same feelings that Liz had displayed for him. Though she was clear about before, it was now coming together for him.

He got closer to her. She got closer to him. They wrapped their arms around each other and their faces started to close in and the lips locked on each other's. The butterflies in Liz's system were flying in packs, while a chill had flowed through Franklin's veins.

Despite all the problems they have come across, they both a great night together.

Meanwhile, outside, the man in the Gauntlet looked on and got a phone call. He answered and said, "Hello?"

"Hey, Alonzo, homes. Get this; I think I saw Liz with a mayate at a club tonight. I thought you should know."

"I think I know what you're talking about, ese," Alonzo said. "I'm going to fuck that fool up. He better know that I'm coming."


	4. A Simple Plan, or Is It?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liz had a bad day. Franklin devises a plan to make her feel better.

Liz and Franklin had been dating for a few weeks, nearly a month at that. It was something that Franklin had to think over at first because he wasn't sure if he felt anything like that for her. But once he decided to take her out on a date, the feelings started to come together for him.

It was the same way for Liz. She was at first fine with having a no-strings-attached relationship with Franklin. But the question on her mind was why she suddenly started feeling that way for him. She had hooked up with some other guys at times, but it was no big deal to her. If anything, she was just having fun without having to worry if someone was cheating.

On the other hand, Franklin only had trysts with the strippers from the Vanilla Unicorn. Despite having had many a wild night with them, in no way would he have wanted anything more with any of them. Infernus and Sapphire had the vibes of being gold-diggers, as both of them mentioned stuff about his wallet and the money he has. He had a lot of money that he used to spend at the strip club, even though he was able to call them for a good time without getting a lap dance. The two even lived in Vinewood, which was in the rich part of Los Santos. Nikki and Juliet weren't much different despite living in the south part of LS.

Plus, it could be said that Franklin even had some of the streetwalkers, too, but he was always protected.

However, Liz hadn't been around much in her neighborhood as of late. She had suspected that lately she was being watched. When she and Franklin went to Bahama Mama's West that night, she had seen friends of her ex-boyfriend at the club. Also, a friend of hers worked at that same club, who allowed her to stay there from time to time. She felt like she was being stalked, and she had a good idea who would be stalking her. There were even times when she was at school that she had to look over her shoulder, as that potential stalker went to the university, or so it seemed.

One day, she had gotten out of class. She slowly got out of her seat while she carried her notebook and textbook as she followed this blonde girl who was in her class. She didn't know this girl, but she seemed familiar to her as she may have appeared on a TV show, not that she really watched it, but she may have seen something in passing. It wasn't important; she had so much on her mind right now.

At a slow pace, she walked out of the classroom and then out of the building with her head down. So much was burning through her mind, and then a voice yelled, "Hey you!"

At a moment's notice, she jumped, as the voice sounded like it went towards her. She turned around and then saw the last man she ever wanted to see, who was wearing a yellow button-down shirt with dark pants.

Liz let it out, "What do you want, Alonzo?"

"Whoa, whoa, I just thought I'd say what's up," Alonzo slyly said. "It's been a long time. I just want to see how you're doing."

"It's over between us, get that through your head," she said.

"I would if you stop giving head to some pinche mayate cab driver," he said.

Liz backed up a tad while growing a minor scowl on her face.

"What I am doing is none of your fucking business," she said. "I am trying to do something with my life and who I date or fuck is none of your business. I mean seriously, you didn't bitch when I dated Kyle."

"That's different," Alonzo said. "That gringo was no good anyway, but you're part gavacha, anyway, so that don't matter, esa. I knew that it wouldn't last between you and that gavacho, especially with him fucking all those rich bitches that he was teaching to play tennis. Yeah, I knew that he was doing all that shit."

"I'm only a quarter white," Liz said. "And even then, why should that matter to you? We're not together anymore. So fuck off, I can date whoever I want, I can fuck whoever I want. I saw you looking at other women, like Lupe and some of my other friends when we were dating. Lupe even told me about that night when you got all up on her and she slapped you for it and then you hit her. So don't give me any shit, comprende?"

Alonzo stood there in silence with mixed emotion. On one hand, if it were any other time, he would have hit her, but because they were out in public, he knew that wasn't a good idea. At the same time, he was a bit surprised that she told him off for all the stuff he had done. It was bad enough that he even attacked her own friend for trying to reject him after he got fresh with her.

"One more thing, I want my Gauntlet back," Liz said. "So I expect you to bring my car back to me soon. And that's the last thing I want from you. Goodbye." Liz turned around and walked away.

"You ain't gettin' shit, bitch," Alonzo yelled as she walked away. "That car is mine." Liz heard him, but she didn't want to respond.

This was quite a cathartic experience for her. All the abuse that Alonzo put her through and now that he had resorted to stalking her, she had to let it out somehow. It was true, though. He had no right to give her grief for her relationship with Franklin. While she was aware that she had given her body to some other men, she felt like her body was only for Franklin at that point. More importantly, her heart belonged to him, too. Even on nights when she slept alone in her apartment, she felt lonely without him.

As she was walking away, Alonzo looked at her with a scowl on his face. He couldn't believe that he told her off like that. However, he had thoughts of his own.

 _It's not over for us, bitch._ He thought.

She had walked away and then suddenly, a white Buffalo had pulled up right by the flagpole. She looked down, even though she knew that a certain someone was in that car. She approached the passenger door and opened it and went right into the seat and looked down with the car blasting "West Coast Gangsta Shit" from Daz Dillinger and WC on Radio Los Santos.

"Hey, girl, what's up?" Franklin said.

"Nothing, just take me home," Liz said in a not-so-enthusiastic tone.

"Are you okay, Liz?" Franklin said. "You seem down."

"I'm fine, Franklin." The tone in her voice really said otherwise. She would have been happier to see him if she hadn't come across the one man she didn't want to see.

"Nah, it ain't like that," he saw how she felt in the moment. "I know you ain't feelin' so good. Tell me what's on your mind."

Liz put her head up and then turned her attention towards him. "I ran into Alonzo today."

His jaw dropped a tad after he heard that. "Oh, fo' real? You ran into that asshole?"

"I also think he's been stalking me," she said. "I don't know if it was him, but there were nights when I would look outside my window and I would see him in the car. MY car, too."

"Whoa, hold up, he's been following you around?" he said.

"I saw him when I got out of class. He was waiting for me."

Franklin responded. "Don't he go to the same school?"

"No, he's not a student," she said. "When we were dating, he would just come to the college just to see me and give me shit."

"Did you just say that it was your car he was in?" Franklin had a recollection of that one day when he gave Alonzo that ride to meet with her. She was fixing what looked like a silver Gauntlet under the Olympic Freeway. One thing that intrigued him wasn't just her big butt, but also that she knew to fix a car. She had told him that Alonzo would have her do all the housework all the time, like she was his personal maid. It was clear that Alonzo was sexist as he had that mentality that women should just cook and clean. But to see her fixing a car, normally something that men would do, it occurred to him that she was no ordinary woman, and that was a good thing.

"Yeah, why?" she said.

"Nothing, I was just wondering," Franklin had just gotten an idea. Because he knew that she was without a car at the moment, not that he minded giving her a lift a lot of the time, but he just came up with a plan, a plan to get her car back.

"Where do he stay at? What's his last name?" he said.

"Why?" she said.

"Oh, I just got an idea right now," he said.

Her eyes got bigger. "Wait, you're not going try to kill him, are you?"

"Hell nah, I ain't finna do that shit," he said. "I just want to know where he stay in case he tried some mo' shit wit ya, ya feel me?"

"Okay, he lives in Rancho and his last name is Garcia," she said.

"A'ight then," he said. As he drove, he started thinking about the plan he had come up with.

It was only a matter of time until he reached Strawberry to drop her off at the apartment complex she lives at. He pulled up in front of the complex after he had turned and cross the train tracks. The two leaned towards each other to kiss each other on the lips.

"Do you want to come in and…you know?" Liz said.

"Nah, some other time, baby," Franklin said. "I gotta make a call right now. I'll call you later, okay?"

"Okay, bye, baby," Liz said.

He watched as she walked off towards the stairs so that she can get into her apartment. Right then, Franklin changed it to West Coast Classics, when "Lights Out" from Westside Connection and Knoc-Turn'al started playing. He started driving away, and then looked through his contacts and found the contact he was looking for.

"Hello, this is Lester."

"Hey, Lester, this Franklin," he said. "I got a favor to ask you. Can you find any info on Alonzo Garcia who lives in Rancho?"

"Where is this coming from, Franklin?" Lester said. "Are you looking for someone to kill?"

"Kill? Hell no, this fool been bothering my girl and I want to boost his ride. Well, it's actually HER ride, but he ain't givin' it back to her. I want to surprise her with her whip."

"A girl, huh? Michael and Trevor haven't mentioned something about a girl," Lester said.

Franklin thought to himself. _When did THEY talk to him?_

"All right, I found something on Alonzo Garcia in Rancho. He has been living over at the Rancho Projects on Dutch London Street and Jamestown Street for a bit now. He used to live on Strawberry and Carson, but he hasn't been there for a while."

The description matched exactly what Franklin was looking for. Alonzo and Liz DID live together, but he was kicked out after the breakup. But that didn't matter. What Franklin realized was that he was going to break out his old self for a favor to his girl.

"A'ight, that sounds like that fool," Franklin said. "Thanks for the info. I owe you one."

"You're welcome, F," Lester said.

Franklin ended the call and then decided to reach out to another person. Being that he was in the L section of his contacts, there was one person that he could reach out to. He made the call to that person.

"Hey, this LD, what's happenin', my nigga?"

"Hey, Lamar," Franklin said. "I need a favor from you."

"Oh, it's THAT nigga," Lamar said. "I forgot you were even alive. Now you askin' me for a favor."

"Please, don't give me none of that shit," Franklin said. "This favor is for my girl. You see her ex still got her whip, homie. I was thinking we could do a little, you know, repossession."

"Are you fo' real, homie?" Lamar said. "Bringing out da old Franklin, huh? Where does this fool live?"

"He lives at the Rancho Projects."

"Rancho? Ain't that where the Vagos roll?"

"Hold up, you tellin' me you scared?" Franklin said.

"Hell nah, I ain't scared of shit," Lamar said. "If those Vago fools try to blast on us, I'm finna pop a cap in they ass. Plus, you can't underestimate the power of pussy. You whipped as fuck."

"Whipped? What the fuck you talkin' about?"

"Come on, Franklin. I seen that bitch you been fuckin' around with lately. Those Mexican bitches are fine as fuck, though. I'm surprised you ain't brought her around, man. I thought we was homeboys."

"We ARE homeboys, but shit, I ain't even brought her around Michael's crib or shit like that," Franklin said. "Anyway, that shit ain't important. We got work to do later."

"I hear you on that," Lamar said. "I'll hit you up when I get ready for this."

"Anyway, let's meet in Rancho at around 11 tonight," Franklin said.

"Sounds good, dog," Lamar said. "Holla at me, patna."


	5. A Little Repossession

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Franklin goes through with the plan to get Liz's car back for her.

It was after 11 at night. Franklin had gone out to Rancho to scope the area of where his girlfriend's car was. It was dark out and surprisingly, there were no Vagos or any other people hanging out outside, like it sometimes goes on in the hood. It may have been late, but some people just don't care.

Franklin was willing to do this as a favor for Liz. Though he had been dating her for almost a month, he had been seeing her for a little longer than that. They mainly had a "friends with benefits" relationship, until Liz told him how she felt. What was crazy was that Franklin started to feel the same way about her. For him to do something like this, a crime that he hadn't done much of in quite some time, that just showed what he felt for her.

It wasn't like he hadn't boosted cars at all up to that point, but the whole carjacking bit just seemed like a thing of the past for him, something that a low-level street hustler or gangbanger would do. Franklin hadn't forgotten his roots, and it was about to show on this plan he had come up with hours prior.

Some time had passed since Franklin had arrived there by taxi. He wasn't about to leave his Bagger or his Buffalo behind if he were to take Liz's Gauntlet. Because the plan had been formed that same day, he didn't know what he was going to do with the car. It would have been a good idea to take the car to her house to give her a surprise. On the other hand, Franklin had another idea, but he wasn't sure how it would go down.

The only thing he had to do was to play it by ear, as he awaited the arrival of Lamar.

He had his back right against a wall and had looked to see if there was anybody in sight. Normally he would do something like this on his own, but he asked his friend to help him. They were on another gang's territory, so he needed the extra help.

But out of the corner of his left eye, something unexpected happened. A tow truck pulled up and Lamar was seen driving it and a woman was seen riding on the passenger side.

What the fuck…? Hands raised in his confusion over the presence of the tow truck, especially with the woman in the passenger side. The woman had a light green top and a reddish brown dye job in her hair. _What is Tonya doing here?_

Franklin approached the truck and went up to the driver's side.

"What the fuck is goin' on, nigga?"

"Nigga, what's YO' problem?" Lamar said.

"I just wanted to get my girl's car back for her," Franklin said. "You didn't need to get a fuckin' tow truck for this lick. Tell me you ain't actually went into the tow yard and jacked the truck, and what the hell is Tonya's stank ass doing here?"

"Nice to see you, too, Franklin," Tonya said.

"Nah, it ain't like that, dog," Lamar said. "Tonya here had access to the tow yard because JB's lazy ass still work there, and seein' as you own the joint, I figured it was easy access for both of us and it wouldn't be jackin' if you own the tow yard."

"Homie, just because I own the tow yard, that don't mean you could just take shit when you want to. 'Sides, ya know that the po-po are right next to the yard, right?"

"Man, five-o ain't seen me or Tonya get in the yard, so I don't see what you worried about. I could've just said that I work at the place and Tonya could've said that she was picking up something that JB left there. So it's a win-win for all of us."

Franklin had every right to be angry at that moment, but it wasn't the time for any indignation.

"Ay yo, listen, here is what I want both y'all to do," Franklin said.

While he was telling his two partners about the plan, a few Vagos came out into the courtyard of the projects. They both went out to have a smoke. Because they had the tow truck, it would probably easy to just hook the car to the back of the truck and just leave. But Franklin wanted to do things his way. How else would his girl be able to start up the car?

"Hold up, so you sayin' that you want to get the keys?" Lamar said. "That ain't stopped you from stealin' a whip."

"First off, I ain't stealin' shit," Franklin said. "I'm just bringin' my girl's ride back to her. That car don't belong to her ex."

"Whatever, dog," Lamar said.

The trio stood behind a wall with a mural on it and saw the same guys hanging out and smoking.

"I need to get into that fool's apartment and jack the keys," Franklin said.

Tonya added, "I can help."

"What are you gonna try to?" Lamar said. "Try to suck those fool's dicks?"

"You think you so clever, Lamar, but watch me," Tonya said.

Tonya went forth to try to provide a distraction for the two thugs. The closer she got the smell of the smoke became clearer, as it turned out that they were smoking weed.

"Hey, guys, mind if I get a hit of that shit? Got any crack as well? I am jonesin' for a fix."

The two men looked at her like she was weird.

"Are you in the right hood, esa?" said one of the guys.

"You don't look like you're in the right place," said the other guy.

"Listen, I just want to see if you got anything for me to get high," Tonya said. "If you want, I can suck your dick for it."

"You? Want to suck our dicks?" said one of the guys. "Are you that desperate, esa?'

Lamar stepped in, "Ay, is there a problem over here?"

"Ay, they said that they won't give us any shit for us," Tonya said. "I tried to offer to suck their dicks to get some."

"Who are you, pendejo?" the other guy said. "Are you her pimp or something?"

"Pimp?" Lamar was surprised at that remark, but then saw Franklin in the background behind them.

"Um, yeah, I'm her pimp," LD said. "This is one of my bitches and if you don't treat her with respect, we gonna have some serious problems. She'll give you what you need and you give her what she need."

The two Vagos looked at each with a lot of confusion on their faces.

The window was open for Franklin to make his move with Tonya and Lamar distracting the two men. He went forward and found a doorway to get into. He had received an address from Lester that same day of where Alonzo lived, so he knew which apartment room was where he was staying.

He snuck into the apartment building. He also got out a pick so that he could pick the lock off his door. Once he got it out, he picked the lock and then slowly walked in. He saw Alonzo sitting on a couch squirming a bit.

"Oh, yeah, baby, that's it, keep going," Alonzo said.

Franklin slowed down and looked towards him with a strange look on his face but looked closer and saw what looked like a woman in front of him kneeling on the floor while he said on the couch. Alonzo was definitely getting his rocks off, but who knows for how long? He went towards the kitchen and found what looked like a wallet and some car keys right by it. Franklin picked up the keys and they had a Bravado logo on it. Bravado was the company behind making the Gauntlets, but there was one way to confirm that it was the car.

Got it. He thought. He turned around and then slowly but quickly got out of the apartment while Alonzo was having his dick sucked.

It slowed down as the woman, who appeared to be Mexican sat back a bit.

"What the fuck? I didn't tell you to stop, chica," Alonzo said.

"I need to breathe a bit," the girl said.

Franklin went to a stop. His heart started racing but quickly went to sit directly behind the couch. He knew that he would be screwed if both people saw him.

"Okay, you have a few seconds," Alonzo said and then stood up on his feet.

_Shit, how'm I s'pose to get out now?_ Franklin thought. Even worse, the girl then stood on her feet, butt-naked, no less. Alonzo and the girl started making out again and then started touching her breasts.

If this fool sprung on Liz, he ain't got no problem fuckin' other girls. He thought.

It wasn't long until the two got on the floor but only the girl was visible as her back was towards the couch. It was a miracle, as Franklin put the keys in his pocket and then got out his phone and texted Lamar.

Outside, Lamar was still with Tonya as she was still trying to beg the guys for some drugs or a blowjob, until he received a message.

_Got the keys, now get the truck._

Lamar said, "Hey, Tonya, get yo stank ass over here, Franklin got the keys now."

"Oh, fo real, great," Tonya said. "Great talkin' with you guys."

The two Vagos said, "Huh?" in unison. More confusion grew at that moment.

Franklin made his way out of the apartment building and ran to catch up to Lamar and Tonya.

"Man, what took you so long?" Lamar said.

"I saw Liz's ex fuckin' some girl and got stuck, dog," Franklin said. "Nobody said this shit was easy."

"Fool, I'd a been in and out that motherfucka in a flash," Lamar said.

"Yeah right, that fool would a caught you in a flash," Franklin said.

"Hey, let's just go," Tonya said.

They headed out to the parking lot where the tow truck was. Franklin got the keys out and clicked the button on them to see where that Gauntlet was. The clicking sound went off and the headlights blinking came from the left side far from where they stood. The car was black with somewhat of a silver tint and the license plate read "SNAKEYES." That definitely was the car that they were looking for.

"Okay, I'll get the truck," Franklin said.

"Whoa, I brought the truck, I should be the one who hooks it," Lamar said.

"Do you even know how to work a tow truck?" Franklin said. "All those favors that Tonya put me through taught me to work the damn thing. So I got it."

"He's right, Franklin knows what he is doing," Tonya said. "You just look out to see if any fool comes up on us."

Lamar reluctantly agreed to this. Franklin started up the truck and then backed the truck towards Liz's car. He lowered the hook to connect to it and then lifted it. The back of the Gauntlet was off the ground. Lamar and Tonya went into the truck so that they could make their escape.

From a distance, the same two Vagos from before saw the tow truck heading off.

"What the…?" said one of the Vagos. "Hey, ain't that Alonzo's car?"

The other Vago took a closer look. "Yeah, that is. Wait, you don't think…?"

"What?"

The Vago started to wonder if the two people who they talked to earlier were connected, but then he said, "Nah, never mind."

The tow truck was already a block away. Lamar and Tonya looked behind to see if anybody was trying to tail them.

"Man, that was close," Tonya said. "You should have seen those two guys. They were almost considering letting me suck them off."

"Bullshit, they ain't want yo stank ass," Lamar said. "Besides, they got a lot of hot senoritas that they can fuck. They don't need you. Besides, ain't you married?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Tonya said. "Besides, JB ain't been givin' me no love lately. Besides, I heard about what you two did back in the day. Don't try to play me, Lamar. I know about that shit."

"Wait, what?!" Lamar yelled.

"Enough," Franklin said. "I appreciate yo help in all this, but seriously, we didn't need the fucking tow truck. It could've been a simple boost, like if I went in and got the keys and then take the car. Or if I could've just hotwired the car and we would be on our way, but you just had to jack the tow truck from the tow yard. You better hope that five-o doesn't come for yo ass."

"Nigga, why you trippin'?" Lamar said. "We got the job done. That's the only thing that matters, dog. Jackin' the car, towin' the car, it make no difference."

While the job would have been easier for them to just to take the car, the only thing that really mattered was just getting the car back. It didn't help that Franklin went into the apartment while his girl's ex was a bit…busy.

It wasn't long until they went into the LSPD Impound Lot in Davis. Franklin lowered the hook to unhook the car and then parked the truck. All three people got out. After that, Franklin told Lamar and Tonya that they should go home and try to get some rest.

"Holla at me, patna," Lamar said. "Maybe I'll go check on yo aunt, see if she needs company."

Franklin looked at him with annoyance. "Nigga, you need to get yo ass home. Stop tryin' to holla at my aunt."

"Whatever, dog," Lamar said and then walked away.

"Hey, I'll see you later," Tonya said. "Please don't fire JB, okay?"

Franklin responded. "What JB need to do is bring his ass to work, then he don't got to worry about getting fired. Now go home and be a good wife to him."

Tonya turned around and walked away to get home.

In the meantime, Franklin had the keys to Liz's car. So he got in and started it up and then took off to his home in Vinewood Hills. It was still late at night and Liz was probably asleep. Besides, he had something planned for her.

* * *

**The next morning...**

It was close to 9 in the morning. It was during the weekend, too. Liz didn't have a lot to do that weekend. She had the weekend off for some reason, even though she has a job that she works part-time at, which was at the campus. After what Alonzo did at her last job, she had no choice but to quit, so she got some work at the ULSA campus.

She woke up and saw that it was 8:57 AM. But then a text message popped up. It was from Franklin.

_Good morning, girl. Sleep well? Come outside. I got a surprise for you._

Liz thought to herself, "huh?" She put on some sweatpants and slippers. One of her roommates was in the living room watching TV and didn't acknowledge that Liz was walking by. It was as if the roommate was in a trance, or was not completely awake.

She went through the door and walked down the stairs and jumped and gasped at the first thing she saw.

"What the hell?" Liz said.

Franklin stood there and pointed directly at the Gauntlet. "What do you think? I had taken it to Los Santos Customs to get it fixed a bit. I wanted it good as new."

Liz went up to him and gave him a hug. "Franklin, baby, how did you get it?"

"Let's just say that I got a background in being a repo man," he said. "It wasn't easy, though."

"Thank you so much," Liz said and then leaned in to try to kiss him, but then stopped.

"What's wrong, girl?" he asked.

"I think my breath is stinkin' right now," she said.

"Relax, I don't give a shit," Franklin leaned in and kissed her right on the lips and then reached for his pocket. "I think you need these, too." He handed her the keys.

It was only morning, but for Liz, this made her day.

"You know, because you did this for me, I think I might take you for a ride," Liz said.

"What kind of ride do you mean?" Franklin said with a smile.

Liz clicked the keys and went for the driver's side. "Come on, I'll take you for a spin."

"Oh, okay, well, that's an interesting idea," Franklin went into the passenger's side. Liz started up the car and put it in drive and they were off.

* * *

**Meanwhile…**

At the Rancho projects, Alonzo had woken up in the living room with the naked girl who he had sex with the night before. He walked into the kitchen to get something from the fridge. He looked over towards his wallet and noticed that something was missing.

"What the fuck?" he said. He tried to look through everything and noticed that the keys were gone.

He then put on some clothes and then ran out into the courtyard and then towards the parking lot. He noticed that the Gauntlet was gone.

"Pinche chingado mierda," he said. He turned around and noticed some of his friends and that one woman, now awake and clothed coming out of the apartment building.

"What the fuck happened? Who stole my car?" Alonzo said.

The same two guys from before approached him.

"Jose, Cesar, did you guys see who took my car?" Alonzo said.

"A lot of shit happened, but we saw it get towed away," Jose said.

"Wait, a tow truck came and got the car?" Alonzo said. "When was this?"

"This was last night," Cesar said.

"Well why didn't you two pendejos tell me?" Alonzo said.

"You were busy fucking Lorena," Cesar said.

"I'm right here, asshole," the girl said.

Alonzo stood there with so much confusion as to what was going on. Who could have been so slick to take the Gauntlet, as well as the car keys when they were inside the apartment? He could assume that Lorena took the keys, but how could she have the keys when she was there overnight and even then, how could the car be gone?

Then it him, he started to think who or what could have taken the car. He reached for his phone and tried to make a call to someone. He tried to call Liz, but then it was said that his number was blocked.

But that wasn't the only possibility. Who could it have been?

The car wasn't the only issue, as he wanted to get his hands on the cab driver, or the cab company OWNER. He found the Downtown Cab Company on the contacts list. He felt it was time to make a call.


	6. The Heat of the Moment

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liz wants to spend some time with Franklin at his house.

When Franklin got Liz her car back for her, she was more than happy. She was ecstatic that she could drive her car again. She didn't have to rely on others to take her places anymore.

Not that she minded getting rides from Franklin or from other friends, though. There were days that she didn't want to take the car out. Plus, she liked getting picked up by Franklin, but there were also days that she would go and pick him up if he wanted to do something. He didn't mind that, either. Besides, being that Franklin was the owner of the cab company, he would get free rides from the cab drivers if he needed a lift from them.

It was another weekend with Liz having little to do. She wanted to spend some time with Franklin, but it seemed like she had an idea of her own. She got out her smartphone and called him. She waited for him to answer as the phone rang, and then.

"Hey, girl, what's up?" Franklin said.

"Hey, baby, good morning," Liz said. "How are you doing this morning?"

"I'm all good, Liz, just got up after a long night," Franklin said. "Plus, I gotta feed Chop. I got some shit to do today, but it ain't nothing big."

Liz responded, "Well, I was thinking I can come over later. Maybe we can spend the day at your place. We ain't got to go nowhere. I just want to see you."

Franklin said, "Shit, I am down. I've been thinking about you a lot lately. I know you have school and work, just like I got my businesses and all that shit. I can go down to Strawberry to pick you up after I'm done."

"Actually," Liz had another idea. "I'll come by your place instead. Besides, I was thinking about going for a swim as well. We don't need to go out. We can do some stuff at your place."

"Sounds cool, baby," Franklin said. "I should be done with my shit by this afternoon. I'll holla at you when I am done."

"Talk to you soon, baby," Liz said.

It was true what she said. Couples don't always need to go out to have fun together. A lot can be done if they just spend time at a person's house. Though Franklin had been to her apartment numerous times, most of that time was just to have sex. Even then, Liz had roommates and it would be awkward to have some alone time together if other people are present and it wasn't just sex. She wanted to have some alone time with just her and Franklin. She would like to cook him a meal sometime and have drinks to go with it.

It was going to be quite a drive to get from Carson to Vinewood Hills, but that wouldn't be an issue for her. She was more than grateful that Franklin got her car back. She hasn't heard from Alonzo lately, and for the better, too.

She wanted to spend the day with her man. However, there are other things she wanted to do with him. She would like to go out to other parts of San Andreas, like take a trip to Blaine County. She wants to see what it's like in Sandy Shores or even Paleto Bay. Hell, maybe even take a trip to San Fierro if she wanted to go even further.

Just then, her phone rang and saw who was calling her from the caller ID. She picked up.

"Hey, Lupe, what's up?" she said.

"Hey, Liz, what's going on?" her friend said.

"Nothing, just kicking back at my place right now," Liz said. "What's up?"

"Not a lot," Lupe said. "I was just wondering if you wanted to hang out. I have the night off from the club tonight and I thought maybe we could go and get a drink or something."

Liz replied, "Sounds good, but I have plans with Franklin."

"Franklin, that guy you went with to the club?"

"That's the one."

Lupe replied, "Oh, okay. It's been a while since we've hung out. I just wanted us to go and do something. By the way, you have been hanging with that guy a lot lately. Do I detect that you may be in love?"

"What makes you say that?" Liz said.

"Come on, Liz," Lupe said. "Ever since you and Alonzo broke up, I know that you weren't ready to date, but that didn't stop you from fucking around."

"I was just having fun," Liz said.

"I'm not judging you, you're my friend," Lupe said. "But you've been spending a lot of time with that guy. I just want you to know that I am happy, but I am scared that he might hurt you."

"Franklin won't do that," Liz said. "Anyway, I'll hit you up sometime to see if we can hang out. I'll talk to you later."

Right when the call had ended, Liz had reflected on her relationship with Franklin thus far. The feeling that she gained for him had grown stronger as time has progressed. She had sex with other men after the breakup, so Franklin wasn't the only one. Franklin was the same way. But when she was in a relationship, she tried to be faithful. When she was with Alonzo, she wanted an out for a while, but when she was with Kyle, the tennis coach, she tried to be faithful. Kyle, however, wasn't faithful, as he just couldn't keep it in his pants.

For weeks, she also wanted some alone time with Franklin. Really, it had been a bit since they had some alone time, because after they developed their "friends with benefits" relationship into something more, they wanted to show that there was more to their relationship than sex. They had gone on dates, they had made out, but they didn't do much more because if they were going to date for real, they had to see if there really was more to it than just pure lust.

It's crazy. She really was feeling something for him. She thought about him day and night. She thought about no other man, unless it was to reflect on how bad her relationship was. When thinking about Kyle, all she could think about was the time she caught him with his pants down. Even before, whenever she went out with him, she suspected that something was up with him, as there was one time when she saw the remains of smeared lipstick on his face.

In her case, the less said about Alonzo, the better.

But there were recent times when she wanted Franklin's body on her. While she was willing to take things a little slow when they started dating, she yearned for his touch. The feeling of his dark and muscular body on her tan and slender body was one feeling that she missed. She felt turned on that night at the club when he poked her with his boner.

She couldn't wait any longer to see him. She couldn't wait until later.

* * *

**Six hours later.**

Hours had passed. Liz had spent a good amount of the day running errands and doing some laundry. It was a day for her to be productive.

Out of nowhere, Liz's phone rang. Franklin's picture appeared on the screen and she immediately answered.

"Hey, baby, how's it going?" she said.

"'Sup girl, are you still down to hang out?" Franklin said.

"Hell yeah I'm down," she said. "I'll be on my way to your house in a little bit. I am just relaxing after handling some of my shit."

"How 'bout if I come pick you up?" Franklin said.

"No, it's okay. I said I wanted to drive myself to your house," Liz said. "I'll be there in a bit."

"A'ight then, I'll be kicking it at my crib before you get here," Franklin said.

"I'll see you in a bit, baby," Liz said. The call had ended.

It was close to 3 in the afternoon. She realized that she was not ready to go anywhere. She hadn't cleaned herself up. Though she wanted to take a dip in Franklin's pool and also in the hot tub, she wanted to look her best, even if they weren't going anywhere, as far as the plan initially went. She was all alone in her apartment. Her roommates took off to do their own thing. She went to take a shower and then got ready to head out. Being that she figured that she wanted to go swimming as well, because of how warm it was that day, she went through her drawer to look for a swimsuit to wear.

 _Which one should I take?_ She thought. She had some to choose from, whether they were some one-pieces or bikinis. She looked through them. _Wait, I think this will work._

While she was already comfortable with her body and it didn't matter to her what she would wear, she picked a particular one, because she wanted to make an impression on Franklin. Usually it didn't matter what people wore, but in this situation, she wanted to look her best, for him.

She found a bag to take some clothes with her. She wanted nothing more than to spend some time with him that day.

She put on a pair of shades, a small button-down shirt that showed a little bit of her midriff and a pair of short shorts. She picked up the key and clicked it to unlock her Gauntlet. She started it up and was now on her way.

* * *

**25 minutes later.**

It took nearly a half-hour for Liz to drive from Strawberry to Vinewood Hills. She drove through the Olympic Freeway and then turned on to La Puerta Freeway. She looked around and was intrigued by the rich areas of Los Santos like Rockford Hills and Vinewood.

She had been through those areas, but she hasn't had much chance to check out the other areas of LS. It felt weird for a girl like her to be driving around in that part of town. Then again, how Franklin got a house in the hills was something that she wondered. She saw that he was from the hood and she was sure, if aware that he had been involved in criminal activity. But for someone like him to live large like that, it couldn't have been through legal means.

But it didn't matter to her. She wasn't with him because he was loaded. Not even a little bit. She was with him because she felt that he was not like other men who she dated.

She turned on to Whispymound Drive and then pulled up to the house with the green Bagger and white Buffalo was. She parked the car and got out. She walked up to the wooden doorway and knocked on it and then rang the doorbell.

"Hold on, I'm comin'." A voice said.

She stood there and waited for the wooden door to open. The door opened and out walked a muscular black man. Liz took a deep breath while feeling a chill in her system.

"Hi, baby," Liz said.

"Hey, girl, what's crackin'?" Franklin said.

Liz walked into the foyer and put her stuff down. Franklin had closed the door and Liz immediately reached over and hugged Franklin and leaned in to kiss him.

"Oh, I missed you," she said.

"I missed you, too, baby," Franklin said. "I thought about you all day."

Liz replied, "You have no idea how much I thought about you lately."

She looked around the house. Even though she has been in the house before, being inside a place like that was so surreal to her. The house was big. It had a lot of glass windows. It felt like there was no privacy, but being in the hills, no one would be able to look through the windows. Just standing in an expensive home was just strange to her, but in a good way.

She looked towards the area with chairs and the telescope right by the window. She also walked around the corner and found the living room area with the TV and on the coffee table was a bong. She was very intrigued by the way he lived.

 _So much stuff, yet feels so lonely._ She thought. That same though occurred to her when she saw the dining area. It made her wonder if he ever had people come by to have dinner.

"You know, I'm glad you brought your ass out here," Franklin said. "Sometimes it can be lonely living up in this crib. I sometimes got my boys to come kick it with me, but not all the time."

"I'm happy to hear that," Liz said. "There ain't a lot to do at my place."

"Hey, if you want, we can check out some of the spots out in these parts," Franklin said.

"That's okay," Liz said. "Besides, it's pretty hot outside today. I was thinking about getting some sun and going swimming."

"Fo sho, baby," Franklin said. "I'm finna get in the water soon."

"Well, I brought my bathing suit. I should go change."

"Same here."

Even though they had been dating for more than a month, she had only been to Franklin's house a few times. Ever since she got her car back from him, she had gone by here and there, but not too many times. Most of the time they were together, he took her to places, whether it was to clubs, restaurants, or the movies. Then again, he hadn't been inside her apartment lately for any alone time.

Liz went down the stairs that were right by the front door to the bottom floor and found the bathroom. She went inside to change into her swimsuit.

As happy as she was to see him, she felt like she should come by more often. She felt that Franklin was lonely living in a big house on the hills. Then again, she hasn't met some of Franklin's friends yet. If she felt something serious for him, she felt like she should meet some of Franklin's friends and family. He had told her about his aunt, but from what it sounded like, those two didn't get along. But still, she wanted to delve more into his life.

After a bit, she got out of the bathroom with a cover-up on. She entered the bedroom and approached the door to the backyard. When she went outside, Liz felt a chill through her veins, as from a distance, she saw Franklin shirtless by the pool. He was wearing green and white swimming shorts. Though she had been naked with him multiple times, it was the first time in a while. Just the sight of his muscular body left her breathless, with his arms and chest giving her a run. Now it was time for her to give him that same feeling.

She walked towards the pool. The moment those two locked eyes, Franklin caught her with a smile on her face. He smiled at her as well. He knew that she liked what she saw. What was there for her to do? She turned around and bent over. Though she was still covered up mostly, Franklin got a look at her rear end. Liz knew that he was looking, so then pulled up the back to show her ass in a thong.

She turned back around and grabbed the bottom edges of the cover-up and pulled it and started moving her hips from right to left and left to right. She started to pull it up and continued to move like a stripper would when she would strip her clothes. She pulled it off and revealed a tiny black bikini.

Franklin looked her up and down at her tan skin and slender body. Though she had a svelte waistline, her top looked very form-fitting, especially with it pressed against her tits. Looking at her ass, however, didn't help matters as the cheeks hung out from her thong. She looked towards him and gave him a "come hither" look and gesture with her finger. She stood right by the pool and as he got closer, she jumped into the water. She surfaced after the splash.

"Come on, aren't you coming in?" Liz said. She knew that he would like what she was wearing.

Franklin smiled, "I guess so." He then jumped into the water.

The two played in the water. They threw water at each other. They went underwater and swam a bit. It was a nice day to take a dip in the water. There was even a moment when Franklin was underwater and Liz's head was above water and Franklin would sneak up behind her and grab her and dunk her underwater. She turned around and looked at him dead in the eyes and kissed him on the mouth. It was like something in a movie or a music video.

* * *

After a while, they had gotten out of the pool. The sun was still out and they were both lying on the chairs right by the pool. Liz was catching some rays as she was sunbathing.

Franklin got to his feet and looked at her body up and down once again. Liz had also turned her body over to get some rays on her backside. What was puzzling to him about all of this was that he had seen her naked numerous times. If anything, she was wearing more, though it wasn't much. Though he felt something for her, at that moment, he wanted to take her inside and get her out of that bikini and get busy.

But it wasn't a good time yet. Besides, he felt that this was the first time in a while he had any company at his place. Though he hung out with Lamar, it wasn't always at his house. Lamar felt like he was too good for Vinewood. He sometimes had his friends Michael and Trevor over, but it wasn't a lot. This had been a fun day so far.

It wasn't long until Liz turned her body over once again and sat up to look towards Franklin.

"So I was thinking, what do you think about us taking a trip?"

"Huh?" Franklin sat up when he heard that.

"I want to see other places," Liz said. "You told me you've been out to Blaine County. I want to see what that's like."

Franklin felt uneasy about that. "You sure about that? Sandy Shores ain't got nothin' but rednecks and meth-heads."

"Oh, come on, baby, I just want to see what things are like out there," Liz said. "I feel like I'm missing out on exploring other parts of San Andreas. I would like to go to San Fierro or even Las Venturas. Shit, I haven't been out to Venturas, and some of my friends have been there."

"I can take you out to Paleto Bay or some shit like that," Franklin said. "It ain't as bad as Sandy Shores with all the rednecks and meth-heads."

Though he shouldn't really be talking as a good friend of his lives out in Sandy Shores, but really, the friend in question was a crazy meth-head. If anything, the friend would take that as a compliment.

"I'm finna take you somewhere one day," Franklin said. "Now that I think about it, Sandy Shores ain't all that bad."

"By the way, I'm in the mood to smoke," Liz said.

"Fo real? Shee-it, I thought you'd never ask," Franklin said. "I'll bring out the weed."

Franklin got up and went inside through the backdoor to his bedroom and then headed towards the stairs to get the bong from the living room. He also picked up a sack full of indo. He then approached the front door to go through the doorway to the stairs to get to the backyard.

Liz lied there and continued to sunbathe. As she looked up at the sky, she started to wonder what they should do next. On one hand, she wanted to get into the hot tub, but the day was rather warm, so it wouldn't make much sense to get into a hot tub on a warm day. The sun was going down, but that didn't mean that the weather temperature would drop considerably.

Aside from that, she knew that Franklin liked the sight of her in that bikini. She figured that it would make an impression on him. Just like how she got rather hot when she saw Franklin's muscular body. She knew that by the end of the day or night, that body will be on her.

"Hey, Liz." Liz felt a jolt in her system when she heard someone say her name. She looked up and saw Franklin with the bong and the sack of weed.

"Oh, you scared me." She was so deep in thought that she trailed off into another world.

Franklin handed her the bong and the lighter. He put the weed in the bowl and she lit it up and the water started bubbling as she put her mouth on the pipe as she inhaled the smoke and then blew it out. The smoke was still in the pipe, so Franklin took a hit as well.

"Man, that is some good shit," Liz said. "Do you get your weed for free because you own Smoke on the Water?"

"I wouldn't call it free," Franklin said. "Some of that shit I get a special discount, like I get 75 percent off of it."

"Hey, weed ain't expensive," Liz said.

"No," Franklin said. "But it's expensive to get the shipments and it's a bitch to bring the weed without the po-po on yo ass. It's no wonder the state is trying to legalize it. I even met this one fool who wanted to smoke in front of city hall, but I knew he wasn't finna do any of that shit."

A thought just hit Liz right then. "So I have to ask you something. I have told you a lot about Alonzo and I have told you about my other ex, the tennis coach. But tell me something. Who was the last girl you dated?"

Right then, a somewhat sore subject was brought up to him. But from what Liz had told him about her most recent ex, it was nowhere near as bad.

Franklin lit up the weed on the bowl once again to take another rip from the bong. He inhaled a lot of hit that he blew out a rather big cloud of smoke. After that hit, he choked and coughed a bit.

"A'ight," he coughed. "Ya really wanna know? Okay, here it go. My last girlfriend and I grew up together on the streets of Forum Drive. We were on and off at times, but last time, we together for a long-ass time. But then she gave me some shit about how I ain't growin' up and that she needed something new in her life. She then met a doctor and got outta the hood."

"She met a doctor?" Liz said. _Sounds like a gold digger to me._ She thought.

"Then when my boy Lamar was in trouble, she came to my crib to tell me that some motherfucker set him up. She gave me even more shit about how I don't do enough for my boys and how I ain't changed, even though I got a better life than I did out in Strawberry."

"You want to know what I think," Liz said. "I think she's a hypocrite. I mean you're doing better for yourself now. You have businesses and are doing something with your life. You can do so much better than her."

What she said made Franklin see the light. After Franklin and his ex, Tanisha, broke up, he started his tawdry trysts with the strippers from the Vanilla Unicorn and then later on met Liz. Part of the reason was to give him an outlet for a woman's touch, another reason was to get his mind off of his ex.

Liz grabbed the bong and lit up the bowl and took a hit and held. She looked to Franklin to signal for him to get closer. She moved her face towards his and opened her mouth and blew the smoke into his mouth. He inhaled the smoke and then blew it out.

It felt romantic for them to be smoking weed together, and by the pool, too. The two then looked at each other and their eyes shifted up and down. It didn't need to be said what they wanted to do. The two got up from their chairs and walked towards the bedroom door. The moment they walked in, Franklin laid a big kiss on Liz's lips, which caused her to wrap her arms around his back. She jumped up and wrapped her legs around his lower back and they went towards the wall.

Franklin started to move his face down to her neck and then her chest. He put her feet down and moved his lips down to her chest. She still had her top on, but kept running it down and then kissed her stomach and then kissed and licked her belly button. She turned around and Franklin started kissing her neck again and then cupped her boobs and pushed them together and then ran his hands down her abdomen. She turned her face to kiss him on the lips on his neck. At that point, Franklin helped Liz out of her bikini top. He cupped his hands on her breasts once again as she was now completely topless.

"Oh, yes, papi, yes!" she yelled. She felt a poke in her butt, as she knew what that meant. She quickly turned around and said in a seductive tone, "Time for the appetizer."

She went and knelt on the floor and pulled down his shorts. She saw how hard he really was at the moment. She pulled them down even more for Franklin to get his feet out of them. She got up once again and Franklin knelt to pull down her thong.

Both of them were butt-naked right then. Liz knelt again and opened her mouth and started licking his hard cock. She moved forward and put it completely in her mouth and started sucking.

"Oh, yes, that's good," Franklin said as his eyes were closed. She got her mouth off as Franklin got into the bed and lied down. Still erect, Liz started sucking once again.

She released from his dick and looked at him with a smile. She crawled forward towards and wrapped her arms him and then ran her hands down his pectorals. So much heat went on in the moment. She pressed her body against his some more. Their body heats started increasing, as the fiery passion was an all-time high.

Franklin got his body up while Liz lied on her back on the bed. Franklin moved backwards and put his face in between her legs. He got his tongue out and started licking away. Liz closed her eyes and smiled.

"Oh yes, papi. Like that," she whispered. She even whispered the same statement in Spanish.

She moaned and groaned while he licked her vagina. After a few minutes, he got his face up.

"Fuck me, Franklin," Liz said.

"Let me go get a rubber," he said.

"No, it's okay," she said.

"What?"

"I got tested and I am on the pill. I want you to fuck me raw."

Franklin was not sure what to say. He always got tested after he slept with a hooker and when he slept with the strippers. He was sure that he wasn't the only one who was banging the strippers. He didn't want to take any risks. He was clean and always was protected when he did it with the strippers and any hookers, and also with Liz when it was just purely sexual.

But for some reason, he decided to go in, both figuratively and literally.

Liz raised her legs as Franklin knelt up and went straight for insertion. Liz opened her mouth on impact the moment his cock went into her. "Oye, es muy grande."

Franklin wasted no time and went to town on her. He was thrusting slow at first and then started speeding up as it progressed.

Liz moaned. "Oh! Yes! Si! My pussy! Fuck me, Franklin! FUCK ME HARD!"

It wasn't long until Franklin was ready to climax. He felt like he was about to explode.

"Come in me," Liz said. "I promise you, it will be okay."

He continued to do his bit until he started to moan as he reached the climax. Just then, he pulled out and then lied right beside her in the bed.

He was exhausted from all of it, but that didn't stop Liz to turn over and kiss him on the lips.

"That was great, baby," Liz said.

"Oh," Franklin took a moment to breathe. "You were great."

She ran her hand down his chest and down his abdomen.

All those times that they fucked at her apartment, they weren't like what they just experienced. Though they had fun sex, this whole thing was on a different level for them. When Franklin caught his breath, he put his arm around her and rubbed her soft brown skin.

Later on, when it got darker outside, they both had taken showers to wash off the chlorine from when they went swimming. Liz wanted to stick around and hang out with her boyfriend some more.

They started to get hungry. Though Franklin wasn't bad at prepping meals, he didn't have certain food to cook. So he ordered takeout from a restaurant. The good thing about this was that Liz was totally cool with it. She wouldn't have minded if he just ordered from Pizza This or took her to Burger Shot, Up-N-Atom, or even the Cluckin' Bell in Rockford Plaza.

When the food came, Franklin and Liz started talking about taking a trip somewhere. He realized that maybe he could try taking her out to Blaine County or San Fierro. She didn't care where they went, as long as she was with him. She wanted him to pick where they go.

The night was young. There was no telling if they were going for another round in bed or even go out.

Either way, no matter what they did, they were with each other, and that was all that mattered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my first stab at doing something erotic.


	7. Dinner with Friends

It was afternoon on a Tuesday. Franklin went to go handle some matters at one of his businesses. He owned various businesses in Los Santos, as well as a few out in Blaine County. So he had some things to look at.

It was also a school day for Liz. Sure, they had talked earlier that day. He sent her a "good morning" text message and they replied back and forth. It was a busy day for her, too, as she had to study for a couple of midterm exams, which were that same week.

He went to check on Los Santos Customs in the Sandy Shores, as that one was out of the way. He didn't mind the long drive to get out there. After all, it became routine for him to drive out there. It got to a point where he even went out there on a somewhat regular basis.

Once he went back into town, he received a phone call. He looked on the screen and it was someone who he had not spoken to lately.

"Mike, what's up?" Franklin said. "What's going on, dog?"

"Nothing much, Frank," Michael said. "I am on my way out of the studio in a bit and I was wondering if you want to come over for a bit or maybe play a game of golf."

"Sure, I'm down to hang for a bit," Franklin said. "I'll come by yo crib in a little while. I just got back into town."

"Well, like I said, we can hang out at my house for a bit," Michael said. "Amanda took off to her yoga class. Tracey is at school right now. Jimmy, well, he is just out for a bit, but I don't know what that boy is up to."

"A'ight, I'll be by soon," Franklin said and then hung up.

Franklin rolled into Vinewood right when he got off of Baytree Canyon Road and headed west towards Eclipse Boulevard. It had been a while since he had seen his mentor and friend Michael De Santa. Ever since he started dating Liz for real, he hadn't really seen or talked to his friends. Even when his long-time friend Lamar tried to reach out to him, Franklin often had plans to do something with Liz. It had even been a bit since he had spoken to Michael's son, Jimmy, though Franklin did acknowledge that he was a bit annoying at times.

It wasn't that he was losing touch with his friends. Not even close to it. It was just that he felt that he made a connection with someone. Franklin was a bit surprised that after he met Liz that she would give him her phone number. He wasn't ready to date yet, but neither was Liz.

The two were just having fun on their own terms. Liz did hook up with some guys at her college while just having a strictly physical relationship with Franklin, and he did the same thing with exotic dancers.

When they started dating, he basically made time for her. Not just to go on dates, but also went over to her apartment to hang out, not just have sex.

As for Michael, he started to spend more time with his wife than ever before, as well as try to connect with his two children. He was proud to hear that his daughter was going to start school at some point. If only his son were to follow in that path.

It wasn't long until Franklin reached Rockford Hills and turned onto West Eclipse Boulevard. Before doing a job that involved repossessing a car for a slimy car salesman, he never thought that he would be spending a lot of time in areas like Vinewood or Rockford Hills. It was a miracle how things changed for him.

The white Buffalo rolled down the hill and saw a black Tailgater pull up. Michael stuck his hand out the window to signal Franklin to follow him into the driveway of the house. Franklin followed Michael and parked the Buffalo behind the Tailgater.

Michael got out of the car and looked towards Franklin, who then got out, too.

"Franklin, it's been a while, buddy," Michael said. "How have you been?"

"I been good, dog," Franklin said. "Just been busy with shit. Ain't no thang."

"I see, well come on in," Michael said. "We have some stuff to catch up on."

Michael opened the door with the stained glass windows and the two went inside. They immediately went into the living room while Michael went to the kitchen to get a couple of glasses and a bottle of alcohol to have something to drink.

"So I hear you got a girl now," Michael said. "Who is she?"

"Where did you hear that?" Franklin said.

"Lester told me about a job that you wanted to do involving getting your girl's car back," Michael said.

"When did you talk to him?"

"I talked to him sometime recently. I figure it's not bad to catch up with that guy, even if he is living in his own world. It wasn't just professional between us. It was something that came up. Plus, he always seems to have cameras on T's strip club."

"Yeah, that fool does seem lonely sometimes, enough that he be getting off on those strippers," Franklin said.

"Plus, I remembered that time when I wanted to hang out," Michael said. "But you said you had a date. Amanda's been wanting to have you come over for dinner. I mean you know me, you know Jimmy. You could at least try getting to know Amanda and Tracey."

It then occurred to Franklin that he hasn't really gotten to know the ladies of the family. Though he had spoken to Amanda, he never actually met Michael's daughter. If he was considered a family friend, the least he could do was meet one of the other members of the family.

"So maybe sometime soon you should come over for dinner," Michael said. "You can bring your lady if you want to."

Liz had told Franklin that she wanted to meet some of his friends. He had already met her friend Lupe at the club, but he should come around with her more often, too. He really did feel something for Liz; enough that he wanted to bring her around his friends as well. Though he wondered how it would look if he brought her around his old CGF friends. Plus, there had been some tension between blacks and Chicanos in south LS.

Of course, Franklin didn't mind dating outside the race. He knew that Liz was only a quarter white, which explained her skin tone, facial structure, and her light accent. If he hadn't known that her last name was MacAllen, he wouldn't have guessed that she was part white. Not that it mattered to him, though. After all he did have all those sweaty nights with Sapphire and Juliet. Plus, Nikki and Infernus were of different ethnic backgrounds, too.

"Okay, coo," Franklin said. "My girl would love to meet y'all, anyway."

"So tell me something, F," Michael said. "How did you two meet?"

"It ain't no big deal," Franklin said. "You know that I run that cab company, right? Well one day the manager told me about this one fool who needed to meet with his girlfriend. I saw that he treated her like shit. I knew that fool was an asshole when I drove his ass to meet up with her. Some reason, he got mad for looking at her, so he tried to kick my ass, but I showed him what's up. Then I took the girl home. She said that she had been wantin' to leave his ass for a long time."

"Shit, Franklin," Michael then chuckled. "You dog, you! Checkin' out and stealin' another man's woman? What's your secret?"

"It ain't stealin' if she ain't wanna be with that fool no more," Franklin said. "That's how it all went down. So how's Jimmy been doin'? I ain't talked to him in a minute."

"Jimmy's just being Jimmy," Michael said. "I hoped that he would try to look for a job by now, but he still would rather be playing that stupid game while jerkin' off to porn and smoking weed all day long. It didn't help that he got into some trouble with some guys from the internet."

"That sound like Jimmy a'ight," Franklin said.

A beep sounded on Franklin's smartphone. He picked it up and noticed it was a text message from his girlfriend.

_Hey, sexy. I miss you!_

"Was that your girl?" Michael said.

"Yeah," Franklin replied.

Without hesitation, Franklin opened up a picture of his lady to show his friend what she looked like. Michael's eyes got bigger when he saw the picture.

"Wow, Franklin," Michael said. "She is definitely a babe. I don't blame you for stealing that man's woman after all. I know that I had my moments of cheating on Amanda, and I know Amanda had cheated on me, but I can see that you got taste, my boy."

The two continued to catch up for a bit and had their drinks. Franklin didn't drink a lot as he knew that he had to drive in a bit.

After a while, Franklin was ready to take off to get going. Michael walked him towards the door.

"Remember, Frank, I'll keep you posted," Michael said. "I'll talk to Amanda about you and your girl coming over on Saturday night."

"Fo sho, dog," Franklin said and then fist bumped his friend. "I'll hit my girl up in a bit to let her know about the plan."

"Alright, see you soon, buddy," Michael said.

Franklin clicked his keys to unlock his Buffalo and then went in the driver's seat and started up his car. Before he could take off, a yellow Issi pulled up to the other driveway on the yard. Right behind that car was a red Sentinel, which then parked beside the Issi.

It was time to get going, so Franklin drove off as the gate opened for him to take off.

From a distance, a young blonde woman and an older brunette woman stood there and saw the African-American man drive off.

"Hey, who is he?" the blonde woman said.

"Oh, he's a friend of your father's," the brunette said. "He also hangs out with your brother sometimes."

The blonde nodded her head but still seemed confused. She probably had seen the man before, but she wasn't sure.

A few minutes later, Franklin was headed north towards Vinewood Hills. He reached for his phone and called the one person he wanted to speak to.

"Hello?" said a woman with a light Spanish accent.

"Liz, baby, how you doin', girl?" Franklin said.

"Franklin, my baby!" Liz said. "I'm doing fine, just been studying for an exam. This shit is hard."

"I know that feelin'," Franklin said. "Hey, listen, I'm finna ask you somethin'. Got any plans this weekend?"

"Franklin, come on, we've been spending time together a lot," Liz said. "But on Friday, I promised Lupe that I would hang out with her. She's been wanting to hang out for a while now."

"Well, I wasn't talking about Friday," Franklin said. "You could hang with your friends. I was talking about Saturday. See, I kicked it with a friend today and he want me to bring you by his house and have dinner with his family."

"When does he want to do this?" Liz said.

"He want to do this on Saturday night," Franklin said.

"Hmmmmm, this doesn't sound bad, Frank," Liz said. "I would love to do this. Just let me know the time on Saturday, okay? Love you, baby."

"Talk to you soon, girl," Franklin said.

While he drove, he realized that she said "love you, baby" to him. Could she really be feeling that way for him? He felt something for her, but it really sounded this relationship was developing into something more than he imagined.

It was crazy, because before they actually started dating, it was hard to believe that this was the same girl who talked dirty to him when he drove her home. When their relationship was purely sexual, she would talk about how horny she was and even talk about trying to get her roommates in on the action. But when she finally told him that she felt something for him, everything had changed.

Franklin had not felt this way since his breakup with his ex. Maybe when he took her home after beating up Liz's ex-boyfriend, it was fate, fate for both of them.

When he saw Liz fixing her car that one day, he figured that she had skills in that department. One time when the Buffalo had some problems, she offered to look at it. Not many women would be quick to look at someone's car.

* * *

Meanwhile, at Liz's apartment, she sat at the kitchen table and looked at her notes and textbook to prepare for her midterm. After talking to Franklin, she had little focus in her studies than before. She couldn't stop thinking about Franklin.

 _Relax, Liz. You can talk to him later. You need to study for your test._ She thought to herself.

She tried to maintain her focus on her studies. It was going to be hard, but she had to study for her test.

It was hard for her because she didn't think that she would develop these types of feelings for Franklin. Was she falling for him, if she hasn't already? She thought she loved Alonzo, but then that charming façade crumbled after he showed his true colors. She had feelings for Kyle, but she realized that they weren't that strong after they broke up.

It brightened her day when she heard from Franklin. Even on days when they spent time at his house, she was always happy to be sleeping next to him. Hell, she was happy when she was with him.

But she had to stay focused. She had to prepare herself for her exam. She continued to do that at that moment.

* * *

**Four days later.**

It was Saturday. It was the day that they had planned to have dinner with Franklin's friend and his family. For the majority of the day, Franklin and Liz had their own stuff to do. But they managed to make time to talk about the plan.

Liz drove around in her Gauntlet and then heard her phone ring.

"Hey, baby," Liz said.

"'Sup, girl," Franklin said.

"So I was wondering," Liz said. "What should I wear tonight?"

"Girl, this ain't no formal dinner," Franklin said. "You can dress all casual and shit. My friend ain't finna care about what you wear. 'Sides, we only gon' be at his house."

To Liz, this felt the same as meeting a boyfriend's parents, or at least having dinner with them for the first time. Franklin had mentioned to her about a couple of good friends of his being older. One of them he had described as sort of a father figure to him.

But Franklin had said that this was no big deal. She could dress casually. Maybe not like how she would dress if she had nothing to do and stayed home, but rather how she sometimes dressed when she went to school. So maybe that was the better option, but also have a little dressy vibe to her to make an impression of some sort. It may not be his parents, but still. She would even want him to do the same thing if she brought him to meet her parents.

She found an outfit that she could wear. It had a touch of class to it while being casual wear. She found a mid-sleeve top with a v-neck and a pair of black pants to wear. She didn't want to overdress, nor did she want to wear anything too revealing. This was just right for her.

Outside, the white Buffalo had pulled up and the horn honked. That could only mean one thing. She reached for her phone and sent a message.

_Give me a bit. I'm almost ready._

Franklin was outside waiting while blasting West Coast Classics. The DJ on the radio announced that they were going to commercial. Franklin waited for Liz to come out. He didn't seem to be in a rush to get there. While he waited, he picked up his phone and called Michael.

The phone rang and then he heard someone say, "Hello, Franklin?"

"Mike, what's going on, potna?" Franklin said.

"Oh, not much, just getting stuff ready," Michael said. "Amanda is cooking up some food right now. Should be ready by the time you get here."

"Well, I am out here waiting for my girl to get out," Franklin said. "I went to go pick her up."

"Take your time, Franklin," Michael said. "It'll be a bit before it's ready."

"See ya in a bit, dog, holla at me," Franklin said and then ended the call.

He looked to his right and saw a beautiful Mexican-American woman approach the car. She opened the door to the front passenger side and got in.

"Hey, baby," Liz said.

"'Sup, girl," Franklin said.

The two leaned forward and kissed each other.

Just then, the DJ on the radio announced the next song that will be playing. Franklin put the car in drive and was on his way while "Where I Come From" by Kam and Solo played on the radio.

"So where does your friend live, baby?" Liz asked.

"He live out in Rockford Hills," Franklin said.

It was going to be a half hour drive from Strawberry to Rockford Hills, but it didn't matter. It was nothing new for Franklin as when he lived in those parts, he drove from his house to Michael's house often. Besides, Liz was really looking forward to this. Going out to the richer areas of Los Santos was still new to her. The feeling was there even when she would drive to Franklin's house.

While he drove, he noticed that Liz took a deep breath and sat stiff in her sit.

"Somethin' wrong, Liz?" Franklin said.

"Nah, I'm just a little nervous," Liz said.

"Why you nervous, girl?"

"I'm just not used to going out to Rockford Hills or any place like that," Liz said. "What if your friend doesn't like me or something?"

"Don't worry about it," Franklin said. "Michael's cool. He ain't like those fake-ass people from Rockford Hills or Vinewood."

Franklin saw where she was coming from though. This was a new experience for her. To her, this was similar to bringing your significant other to meet the parents. But Michael wasn't a parent to Franklin, though he did have a father-figure like relationship with him. When it came to things like that, when bringing a girlfriend to meet the person's friends, it was a sign that things were bordering on serious territory.

"This will go good, trust me," Franklin said.

Liz took another deep breath. "Okay, it'll be fine."

* * *

**25 minutes later.**

Franklin and Liz had reached Rockford Hills. He drove up the hill to head up towards Michael's house. The gate had opened and then Franklin and his lady had pulled up.

The two got out of the car. Liz walked slowly. Franklin quickly took notice and turned around leaned towards her and grabbed her shoulders.

"Relax, girl, everything goin' be a'ight," Franklin said.

Though Liz had calmed down a bit on the drive over there, she was still rather hesitant about this. She walked a bit faster now while Franklin led the way to the door. He then knocked on the door and then rang the doorbell.

The door opened and there stood Michael.

"Franklin, what's going on, buddy?" Michael slapped dap and gave him a half-hug and pat him on the back.

"Michael, what's happenin', dog?" Franklin said and then looked towards Liz. "This here is my girl, Liz."

Liz looked forward and was surprised that Franklin was friends with a middle-aged Caucasian man. Not that she was judging, far from it. But this was something she didn't expect.

"Hi, I'm Elisa, but everyone calls me Liz," she said and extended her hand to shake his hand.

"Franklin has told me a little about you," Michael said. "Come on in, you can meet the rest of the family."

Franklin and Liz walked in through the foyer. They noticed a brunette woman setting up the food on the table.

"Franklin, you remember Amanda, don't you?" Michael said.

"Yeah, I remember, how you doin'?" Franklin said.

Amanda replied, "Franklin, it's nice to see you." She then looked over at Liz. "You must be Franklin's girlfriend. I'm Amanda."

"I'm Liz, nice to meet you."

It wasn't long until a young attractive blonde woman and an overweight young man came down. They figured that they had company as Michael had told them that they were having a couple of guests coming over.

"F-dog, what's happenin', brother?" the overweight guy said and slapped dap with Franklin.

Franklin replied, "Jimmy, it's been a while, dog, how you been?"

Jimmy said, "Oh you know how J-dog does shit, ya know? F-dog is in the hizouse." He then looked over at Liz and his eyes got big and his jaw dropped a tad. He also mouthed, "whoa, baby, damn." He froze a bit at the sight of her and couldn't speak right after that.

"Who…is…this?" Jimmy slowly said.

"Oh, this is my girl Liz," Franklin said and then addressed Liz. "This here is Jimmy, Michael's son."

No longer nervous, Liz shook Jimmy's hand, and then he started to shake a bit.

Michael then saw the blonde girl nearby. "Oh, Franklin, I don't think you've met Tracey, have you?"

Franklin and Liz looked towards the blonde girl. "Nah, I don't think we been properly introduced. Hi, I'm Franklin, and this my girlfriend Liz."

"Hi, I'm Tracey," she said and then looked towards Liz with a bit of confusion. "Don't I know you from somewhere?"

"I don't know, I don't think so," Liz said. "Nice meeting you by the way."

"Same here, I just think I've seen you around campus or something," Tracey said.

"Probably," Liz said. At that point, the blonde started to seem familiar to her.

After a few minutes, all six people were at the table having their meals. They were all eating Asian beef with other things. All of them were digging in, until Amanda looked up towards Franklin.

"So, Franklin, Michael tells me that you have been a busy man lately," Amanda said. "I was used to seeing you two going out and doing stuff."

"Well, I run a bunch of businesses," Franklin said. "It ain't nothing. Just keeping my ass busy, with me running a cab company, tow yard, Smoke on the Water, and also a garage out in the desert."

Jimmy looked up, "Shit, homie, you run Smoke on the Water? Can you hook me up with weed?"

"Jimmy, don't start," Michael said.

"Oh, come on, Dad, I was just wondering if our homeboy can score me some weed," Jimmy said.

"Let's not have this talk here," Michael said.

Tracey then looked towards the guests.

"You know, I'm surprised I haven't met you," Tracey said. "I heard my brother and my dad talk about you a lot. Even my mom knows you, but it's weird that we haven't met."

"That's weird, your dad has told me about you, but it seems like when I come around, you ain't here," Franklin said.

"Well, I am also in school," Tracey said. "I am up to my teeth when it comes to my studies."

"Yeah, and down to your knees when it comes to other things," Jimmy said under his breath.

Tracey then turned towards her brother with a minor scowl and shook her head.

Jimmy ate more of his food and then looked up towards Liz. When he looked at her, he didn't want to eat much more, as he had lost his appetite at the sight of this woman. He looked her up and down and then noticed her cleavage from her v-neck collar and also the size of her bust.

Amanda said, "Well, it's good to see that you have your own businesses. Michael has his career, as well as running a restaurant on Northern Chumash, and runs a few theaters and also a golf course." She then looked towards Liz. "So Liz, tell us a little about yourself. How did you and Franklin meet?"

Liz said, "There is really not a lot to tell. I am in school myself. I am studying business and stuff. Maybe I would like to one day open my own garage or something."

"You fix cars?" Michael said.

"Yeah, I fix cars, it's not a big deal," Liz said. "I also have an interest in maybe writing a script or a book."

Then it dawned on Tracey where she knew this girl from.

"Wait, I think I have a class with you," Tracey said. "That's why you looked familiar. I think you sometimes sit a few places behind me."

Liz took a closer look and realized that she had seen her before.

"Oh yeah, now I know I've seen you before," Liz said.

"Wait, you two have a class together?" Michael said.

"I just finally realized that, Dad," Tracey said. "But I don't know a lot of people in my classes."

Jimmy hadn't touched his food and sat there quietly with his eyes glued right to Liz. Franklin turned his attention towards the young man.

"Jimmy, are you okay?" Franklin said.

Right when he heard his name, he snapped back into reality. "Oh, sorry, I was just, uh, thinking about something." He took another bite of his food. "Excuse me, I got to, uh, go somewhere."

Jimmy got up to excuse himself, while everyone else sat there at the table.

Tracey sat there and looked at the couple. "Liz, where are you from? Where do you live?"

"I live out in Strawberry," Liz said. "Yeah, I know I live in the ghetto."

"Hey, don't sweat it, kid," Michael said. "We weren't always in Rockford Hills. We used to live out in Ludendorff."

"Isn't that in North Yankton?" Liz said.

"Yep," Amanda said. "Somehow we struck it rich and we moved out here. It wasn't always the best between us, but we eventually got better."

Realizing that he hadn't really talked to one member of the family much, Franklin then looked towards Tracey.

"So what you studying? Your dad told me that you in school," Franklin said.

"Oh, I thought about maybe taking classes for film or music," Tracey said. "Maybe do more if I were to get more of a career in music or dancing."

"Wait, what?" Franklin said.

Liz was even intrigued by this. "Wait, you dance?" She then came to another realization. "Wait, now I remember something else. Were you on 'Fame or Shame'?"

Just then, Michael put down his fork and looked down. "Oh boy."

"Yeah, I was, I made it to the finals," Tracey said. "But I didn't win."

"Oh yeah, I think I remember seeing that," Liz said.

Tracey then looked towards Franklin a bit and then looked towards Liz. She wondered how she did not meet him when everyone else in the family did. The attractiveness of this dark man was not lost on her, but then looked at Liz. Though she was from the wrong side of the tracks, this woman has natural beauty that was making her jealous. She barely knew Franklin, but had heard a lot about him and even liked what she saw. However, there wasn't much she could do about it knowing that he had a girlfriend. But a girl could dream, right?

After a few minutes, Jimmy had found his way back to the dinner table. He was gone for a while. One could only wonder where he was.

"Okay, I want to know something," Amanda said. "How did you and Franklin meet?"

Michael looked right at his wife and Franklin was at a loss for words after being asked that.

"Well, uh, ya see," Franklin said.

Liz quickly interrupted, "He gave me a ride home once. He sometimes gives people rides for his taxi company and he was sweet enough to give me a lift."

Franklin smiled after hearing that. He had already told Michael the whole story, but he sure didn't want to share that story with Amanda and the rest of the family. How would it look for the rest if they heard that Liz ran off with Franklin after he beat up her ex-boyfriend? Though to their children, they had seen what their father had done with porn producers and a washed up radio and TV personality.

"Wow, that's very sweet of you, Franklin," Amanda said. "I thought maybe for someone from the wrong side of the tracks, you probably would have done something else."

"Amanda, please," Michael said. "You're embarrassing our guest."

"Nah, Mike, don't worry about it," Franklin said. "There are some good people in the hood. We ain't always made the best choices in life, but sometimes our hearts show what we all about."

For the rest of the night, Franklin and Liz stayed and hung out for a bit. Franklin and Michael had a drink together for the second time that week, while Liz and Tracey interacted a bit. It was a bit of shock for both of the ladies to officially meet under these circumstances, when they realized that they were classmates.

Jimmy on the other hand got out his phone whenever Liz stood up with his back towards her.

Outside in the patio, Franklin and Michael sat at the table near the pool.

"Your girl seems nice, F," Michael said.

"Thanks, dog," Franklin said. "I feel like this is something real that I got."

"Really? You know, it's good that you found someone," Michael said. "Me and Amanda, we had our ups and downs in our marriage, but deep down, we still loved each other."

"I hear ya on that one, homie," Franklin said. "I just didn't think that we would be going out for real, but you know what they say, shit happens."

"What do you mean by that?" Michael said.

"Let's just say that we mainly fucked around before we started getting for real on our relationship," Franklin said.

Michael took a swig of his drink. "Oh, I get it now. Well, I'm glad you settled down, my friend."

"Thanks, dog," Franklin then fist bumped Michael.

After a while, the couple told them that they were ready to go. They had fun, but it was time to call it a night.

Before they walked out the door, Michael approached the two and said, "Hey, Franklin, we should hang out again sometime soon. Don't forget about me, you hear?"

"I won't, Mike, I'll hit you up soon," Franklin said.

Liz told everyone that it was nice to meet them. Everyone said that it was nice meeting her, too. Tracey came up to her and shook her hand and told her that she'll see her at school soon.

Liz responded, "It was nice finally meeting you, too, Tracey. Anyway, keep up the dancing and stuff. I'll see you soon."

The De Santa family looked on as they left and went towards Franklin's car. Franklin started up the car and they were off.

As he drove, he started talking, "This wasn't bad, was it?"

"No, it wasn't," Liz said. "Your friend seems like a nice guy. His wife seems okay, too. Tracey wasn't too bad, but I kind of noticed a couple of things."

"Really? What?" Franklin said.

"I noticed her looking at you a certain way," Liz said. "I also kind of noticed her brother staring at me."

Franklin quickly turned towards her, "Fo real? Jimmy was lookin' at you?"

Franklin then started laughing.

"What's so funny?" Liz said.

"Oh, Jimmy's kind of funny sometimes, don't sweat it, girl," Franklin said. Though really, he now figured why Jimmy may have excused himself and was gone for a while.

"So I was wondering, I still want to go away for a weekend," Liz said. "Whether it's going out to the desert or to San Fierro, I just want to go see some other places. I was thinking maybe we can go next weekend or something."

Funny how she mentioned San Fierro, because Franklin still had it on West Coast Classics, as DJ Pooh announced the next song from rappers that were from San Fierro, as "The S.F.C." from JT The Bigga Figga started playing.

It was a long song, as Franklin was going to take the drive from Rockford Hills to Strawberry, but Liz had other ideas.

"No, let's go back to your place," Liz said. "I want to spend some more time with you."

"I want to spend more with you, too, baby," Franklin said.

Once they hit a red light, Franklin leaned over to kiss Liz on her lips. Liz reached for Franklin's right hand with her left and gripped it.

They had a good night, but it was far from over for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact: The song "Where I Come From" that was played when Franklin was waiting featured Solo, the guy who played Franklin in the game. Also, regarding "The S.F.C.," because San Fierro is based on San Francisco, it was like in GTA IV when DJ Mister Cee said he was from Broker, and when he said that Nas was from Dukes, as those two were based on Brooklyn and Queens. So if those real life personalities can say that they are from the GTA versions, why not say that the rappers on that one song were from San Fierro?
> 
> "Where I Come From" performed by Kam and Solo. Copyright 2000 Priority Records/Hard Tyme Records.
> 
> "The S.F.C." performed by JT The Bigga Figga, RBL Posse, Seff Tha Gaffla, Gigolo, D-Moe, and San Quinn. Copyright 1991 Get Low Recordz/Lil Daddy Records.


	8. An Afternoon Apart

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Liz goes to hang out with some friends, while Franklin gets an urgent call.

It was a Wednesday afternoon, but unlike any other, Liz had plans to meet with her friend Lupe, as well as another friend of hers for lunch. She may have hung out with Lupe sometime recently, but she hadn't seen her other friend lately either.

What was odd about this wasn't that she hung out with one of her friends recently, but rather that her class got canceled that day and it called for a surprise meet with her two friends. Lupe had the day off at one job, but was scheduled to work in the evening at Bahama Mama's West. Plus she wanted to hang out with Liz more, especially since Liz had been occupied with the man she had been seeing.

Liz was rolling down San Andreas Avenue while she was listening to Radio Los Santos, something that she had grown accustomed to since she started dating Franklin. It wasn't like she didn't listen to rap music. She did, but when she dated Alonzo, he often criticized her for listening to "black shit." It seemed that Alonzo's ties to the Vagos had made him a little prejudiced to African-Americans, as some of the gang wars were driven by race in some areas. Even then, he often listened to Chicano rap around her, which was hypocritical because hip-hop was originated by African-Americans.

Then again, Liz often suspected that her ex was a wannabe banger. Sure, he may have connections, but he wasn't someone who was well-respected or badly-feared.

As she drove, an ad came on the radio.

_"Hey, Los Santos! Get ready for the hottest hip-hop show of the year, as the Maze Bank Arena will host the second annual 'Gangster Friday' Tour. This show will feature the likes of Da Shootaz, best known for their 1997 hit 'Grand Theft Auto,' as well Slumpussy, OG Loc, and Madd Dogg. Tickets go on sale this coming week. The Maze Bank Arena will be poppin'! Get your tickets soon!"_

She was almost there to where she was headed. It was just going to be a casual meet-up between friends. Plus it was in the middle of the day, so it was nothing big. She thought about going to see Franklin later or maybe the following day. At this point, she wondered if it was time to bring him around her friends.

She also found herself kind of getting friendly with Franklin's friend's daughter, Tracey. But this was a meet between some good friends of hers.

She pulled up to Kayton Towers on San Andreas Avenue and Movie Star Way. She parked in front of the Bean Machine in that part of Little Seoul, where Lupe lived. Liz's friend lived over there because she wanted to get away from the riff-raff in Rancho and also East Los Santos, particularly La Mesa. It was also closer to where she worked.

She parked her black Gauntlet and got out and saw Lupe and another Mexican woman sitting at the tables on the outside. Lupe waved at Liz to have her come over. Then the other woman waved at Liz with a smile.

"Cecilia!" Liz said. "Oh my god, it's been so long!"

Liz got closer to the other woman and gave her a hug.

"Hey, chica, long time no see," Cecilia said. "Lupe here called me up and thought about hanging out."

Lupe said. "She also asked about you, so I called you up."

Liz added, "Well, I'm glad to see you, Cecilia. It's been too long. How have you been?"

"I've been alright, I just haven't been around much lately," Cecilia said. "Ever since Juan got that new job in Downtown LS, he's been supporting me, but he has been acting like he is important like those guys in Rockford Hills or Vinewood, or even Morningwood. He hasn't wanted me to go out to the hood ever since we moved out of there."

"But that don't mean you shouldn't see your friends," Lupe said. "I mean Liz's man here lives out in Vinewood, but he doesn't act like he is important and too good for the hood."

"Yeah, I heard you got a new man," Cecilia said. "Who is he?"

"Oh, he's just a guy." Liz turned her head away and tried to cover up a smile on her face.

Lupe and Cecilia leaned in and slanted their heads a bit to look at their friend.

"He doesn't sound like 'just a guy,'" Cecilia said. "I see that smile on your face. Tell me about him."

Liz's face got red. Her friends clearly saw that she was embarrassed to talk about him, but not in a negative way. Not even close.

"You know what?" Lupe said. "I want to know, too, Liz. I mean I have met him only once. I can see you really like this guy. But you haven't really told me much about him, either."

"Why you say that?" Liz said.

"Every time I bring him up, you seem to change the subject," Lupe said.

"I do?" Liz realized that she hasn't been sharing a lot of details about her boyfriend to one of her close friends. At that moment, she realized that she should share some details about him.

"Okay," Liz said. "Franklin and I have been seeing each other for more than a month now. Almost two months to be exact. He is a great guy. He treats me really good. He's not like that tennis coach I used to date. He's definitely not like Alonzo. We've gone out many times. He even brought me to his friend's house to have dinner with his friend's family."

"Wait," Lupe said. "He took you to meet his friends? Do I sense that this might be serious?"

The same facial expression from before had grown on Liz's face.

"You know, I'm starting to wonder," Cecilia said. "Liz, are you in love?"

Liz blushed and let out a light chuckle. "I think I am."

"You _think_ you're in love?" Lupe said. "It sounds like you _are_."

"Okay, I _am_ in love," Liz said. "He really makes me smile. I also feel safe when I am with him."

Lupe looked at her friend and then thought of something. "I think you should bring him around, have him meet us or something, if this is serious. It sounds like it to me."

"Yeah, I have never seen you like this before," Cecilia said. "I mean I know I haven't seen you in a while, but I remember how Alonzo used to treat you. Then you brought that white guy around. I remember he tried to flirt with some of the other girls. But this, this sounds like you fell hard."

"Okay, you're right," Liz said.

Cecilia said, "Can I at least see what he looks like?"

Liz reached for her phone and found a picture of him. She then handed it to Cecilia.

"Wow, he's cute," Cecilia said. "Didn't know you liked chocolate as well."

"Shut up," Liz said derisively.

"Hey, I don't care if he's black," Cecilia said. "I'm just a little surprised that you're dating a black guy. He is cute, though. How did you meet him?"

"He gave me a ride home a while back after he got into it with Alonzo," Liz said. "He gave Alonzo a ride and then he was giving me a lot of shit over the phone and then he tried to beat up Franklin, but he stood up to him. Then he gave me a ride home."

"What? He kicked Alonzo's ass?" Cecilia said. "That's good. That guy needed to be taught a lesson."

"That asshole acted like he was more of a badass than he actually was," Lupe said. "He tried to come up on me one time. It doesn't help that his friends hassled me for drinks at the club."

Cecilia turned to Lupe. "Are you talking about Jose, Cesar, and Luis? If so, at least Luis was the more level-headed out of all of them. Jose y Cesar son idiotas." Cecilia noted in Spanish that those guys are idiots.

"Have they tried asking about me?" Liz said to Lupe.

"Not lately," Lupe said. "They also haven't been by that much lately. The manager gave them a warning about hassling for me free drinks. Shit, Luis even tried to reason with them at times. It's crazy to think he is the sane one out of all of them."

"Wait, did you just say that he gave you a ride?" Cecilia said. "What exactly does he do?"

Liz responded, "He runs a few businesses. He runs a cab company. He runs a garage out in the desert. He even owns Smoke on the Water. But he is also loaded as fuck."

Lupe and Cecilia turned their attentions to their friend when they heard her say that.

"Did you just say he is loaded?" Lupe said.

"I'm not with him for his money if that's what you're wondering," Liz said. "He's a sweet guy. Plus, he doesn't act like those rich snobs from Vinewood or Rockford Hills or some shit like that."

Cecilia said to Liz. "All I can say, Liz, is that I am very happy for you. I would love to meet your new man. Maybe one day we can do a double-date. You, Franklin, and me and Juan." Then looked at Lupe. "Or a triple-date if Lupe finds herself a man."

"Hey now," Lupe said. "I am not in no rush to get a man right now. I got my own shit to worry about."

"Don't be in any rush, Lupe," Liz said. "I wasn't expecting to date again after all the shit went down with Alonzo. Shit, I didn't think I was ready to date, but then this happened."

Out of her two friends, only Lupe knew or at least figured that Liz and Franklin had a purely sexual relationship before they started dating. Sometimes when someone isn't ready to date, it doesn't hurt to have flings and the like. But then something else happens down the road.

The three ladies continued to hang out and catch up. But at some point, it was time to call it a day. Liz hugged both women and said bye to them.

Their conversation brought to light that it was now time for her to bring Franklin around her friends and family. She had met one of Franklin's friends. She felt it was time to meet some others now. She got out her phone to see if Franklin had texted or called her at all. She got a message from Franklin.

_Hey, Liz. I'm out with my boy right now. I'll holla at ya later._

Liz was more than happy that she heard from her man, even if it was just through a text message.

* * *

**Strawberry**

Franklin took the time to go to the Vanilla Unicorn with Lamar. He hadn't hung out with him in a bit. He thought it was a good day to go to the strip club.

He figured that Liz didn't have a problem with him going to the strip club, as long as he wasn't about to go home with any of the strippers who do that. Of course, when it was purely physical, Liz had opted to get into a threesome or something like with other women. It was uncertain that she would be open to doing that at the moment now that they are in a more steady relationship.

Franklin pulled into Forum Drive and parked right in front of Lamar's house, which was close to where Franklin's aunt lives. It could have been a better time, though, as a middle-aged African-American woman, along with women who were seemingly younger and in better shape than she was. It was hard to tell as there are a lot of people who may be middle-aged out there but also in great shape.

The women started doing their power-walk, until the middle-aged one went to a stop and looked into the window.

"Excuse me, ladies," the woman said. "I got something I need to do. We'll get back to this."

The woman then knocked on the window of the Buffalo. Franklin then turned to his right and saw the woman.

"Oh hell nah," Franklin said and then rolled down the window. "What do you want, Aunt Denise?"

"Oh, I can't say hello to my nephew?" the woman said.

"If you wonderin' why I'm here, I'm just here to pick up Lamar to go hang out," Franklin said. "That's all I'm doin'."

"Well, you got out of the hood, I don't know why you brought your ass back here," Denise said.

"Like I said, I'm just here to hang out with Lamar," Franklin said. "Now go run with your little group. Remember, I still half-own that house. So don't go tryin' to pull any bullshit around there."

Denise didn't listen. She just continued to run with her group while chanting stuff like "We are women, we are free, bringing end to the patriarchy…"

It wasn't long until Lamar got out of the house while wearing a green button-down shirt and dark jeans and then looked at the women who were walking down the street, particularly at Denise.

He opened the passenger door and said, "What up, nigga?"

"Hey, what's going on, dog?" Franklin slapped dap with his friend.

"Not much, homie," Lamar said. "I just forgot yo black ass existed. Shit, you been dippin' in caramel lately. When you goin' bring that fine-ass bitch around? I thought we was homies, so you need to bring yo bitch around yo homies sometimes."

"First off, don't call her a bitch," Franklin said. "Secondly, I'll bring her by one day, but just as long as you ain't goin' try any shit with her."

"Hey, I be tryin' to holla at those Mexican bitches myself, playa," Lamar said. "But shit, I ain't knowin' that you be sensitive about your girl. You like this girl, I can tell."

"Yeah, I do like her," Franklin said. "I ain't felt this way in a minute, ya know?"

"Well, what will happen if Tanisha were to come back?" Lamar said.

"Nigga, Tanisha is off with some doctor and I don't need her," Franklin said. "Besides, I think it's time y'all should meet Liz."

"Well, I am telling you now," Lamar said. "We better do this shit somewhere. Seem like the Vagos are trying to look around our hood after that lick with the car."

"Fo real?" Franklin said. "That shit happened a month ago. Why would they be coming after us now?"

"All I know is one of those guys is pissed," Lamar said. "Just lookin' out fo yo sorry ass."

"I ain't worried about shit," Franklin said.

It wasn't long until they pulled up to the strip club. Right out of the front door, a tall bald Caucasian man who had little care about hygiene came out.

"Franklin! Lamar!" the bald man said. "What's happening, my homies?"

"'Sup, Trevor," Franklin said. "It's been too long, dog."

Franklin slapped dap with Trevor.

" _Too_ long, my boy!" Trevor said. "Come on, you guys. The girls are waiting."

Right before Franklin was about to enter as Lamar and Trevor were close to the door, Franklin's cellphone rang. He saw what came up and it said "Downtown Cab Co."

 _Shit, what the fuck do they want?_ He thought. He picked up the phone.

"Hey, Raul, what's happenin'?" Franklin said.

"Hey, boss, sorry to do this to you, but it's urgent," Raul said. "I have a passenger who specifically asked for you. He said he wants to meet you over in Murrieta Heights. He said to meet him at the LT Weld Supply Co. over on Capital Boulevard."

"Murrieta Heights?" Franklin realized what area that was, but that wasn't an issue. "You couldn't get one of the other drivers for this?"

"This guy specifically asked for you," Raul said. "He didn't say his name or anything. He wanted you."

"Okay, I'll go handle this right now," Franklin got off the phone.

Trevor and Lamar stared right at him.

"What happened, dog?" Lamar said.

"I got to handle some shit right now," Franklin said. "I'll holla at y'all later."

Franklin headed for his Buffalo, while Trevor and Lamar continued to look on.

"Something bothering me about this," Trevor said as he had a look of mild concern on his face. It looked like this whole thing was urgent for Franklin.

"Ah, it probably ain't no big deal," Trevor said. "Come on, Lamar, let's go have some fun."

"I hear that," Lamar said.

* * *

**Murrieta Heights**

Franklin had pulled up to Capital Boulevard and saw a man standing in front of the building of the LT Weld Company. He looked Mexican, but had a casual look about him. Maybe a bit _too_ casual for that matter. He had a jacket on.

Franklin stopped the car and waited for the man to get in. The closer he got, Franklin noticed a bit of yellow through the open zipper on his jacket. What was going on?

The man entered the backseat.

"So where we goin', sir?" Franklin said.

Then the man drew a pistol right to Franklin's face.

"Oh, you're not taking me anywhere, homes," the man said. "I think the real question is where are we taking you?"

 _The fuck is he talkin' 'bout?_ Franklin thought.

Then to his left, a familiar face come up to him wearing a yellow letterman jacket and with a mask and then opened up the door. Franklin looked up and saw him and had a look of shock on his face as something about the man's eyes seemed familiar. It was Alonzo, who then drew a gun and pointed it right to Franklin's face.

It was obvious that if Franklin so much as tried anything, he would be a goner. But that didn't stop the other two guys, as the man from behind pistol-whipped Franklin with the butt of the gun, knocking him out in the process.

What was going on? What did they want? So many questions, so many possible answers.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Didn't see this coming, huh? I thought I'd leave it on a cliffhanger.
> 
> Also, I planned to bring Trevor back into the fold. He'll have more of a role soon.
> 
> Also, a little random fact: I thought of the idea for that ad when Liz was listening to the radio. The fictional groups like Da Shootaz and Slumpussy were actually the names of fictional hip-hop acts from GTA 1 (Yes, the very first game), but had a particular rapper rapping in those songs named Robert DeNegro (Yes, that's his rap name) when they recorded them. The song "Grand Theft Auto" was featured in GTA 1, as well as GTA III on Lips 106. I figured that if celebs from the 3D universe (Like GTA III, Vice City, San Andreas, etc.) and the HD universe (GTA IV, Chinatown Wars, and GTA V) can exist in each other's continuities, why not the ones from the 2D universe (GTA 1, London, and GTA 2). As for the concert, it might happen in this story. You never know.


	9. Earn Your Stripes

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Franklin got himself in a bit of a pickle. He wonders what will happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> DISCLAIMER: This chapter will be rather dark. If you're uncomfortable with torture sequences, I would suggest you read it at your own discretion.

Franklin had now opened his eyes and realized that it felt colder all of sudden. He also realized that he wasn't wearing any clothes. Not only that, he couldn't see anything as it looked dark around him. He tried to move, but then noticed that his arms were tied above him.

However, as dark as it was, there was a touch of light he was able to see through some fabric that covered his face. He figured that he had a bag over his head. He felt that he wasn't the only one in the room, as he could barely hear some voices speak.

"You sure this is the guy?" a male voice said.

"Positive, ese," another guy said. "I had been doing a little scoping out this chavala right here. This fool probably was the guy who jacked my ride."

"Hold up, you sure that was your ride?" another guy asked. "I thought that was your girl's car. Shit, I don't know how she was able to afford a car like that."

"Shut the fuck up, puto," guy 2 said. "It's the principle of the situation. You could have told me that some mayates were trying to take my car."

"Hey, we would have told you if you weren't busy that night," a fourth guy said. "I don't know what you bitching about?"

Franklin recognized at least one of the voices. Being that he was able to see right through the disguise from earlier, he knew who was in the room with him. However, he was not about to start talking. It would draw more attention on him. He wondered how long he was out for.

"Besides, I ain't trippin' over no bitch," guy 2 said.

"Bullshit, you whipped as fuck," guy 3 said.

Franklin started to move a bit. He shook his head and body a tad.

"Quiet!" the first guy said. "I think our little friend is awake now."

"See?" guy 2 said. "I knew this guy was a little punk. He ain't so tough."

As Franklin stood there, he suspected that the guy with that particular voice was near, as he was close to him when he tried to mock his "lack of toughness."

That familiar voice started speaking. "You know, it's hard being in this life. Shit, life is hard. I wake up every day and I try to live a life dedicated to self-improvement. Being in this life may be rough, but it's all I have and I try to find a path that allows me to employ my special gifts."

Such big words coming from that type of person. It almost seemed too suspicious for Franklin. It sounded like he heard this in a movie.

"Like tying people to ceiling and sticking pliers up their noses?" Franklin said.

One of the other guys said, "You shut your mouth while the man is talking!"

"Got to be quiet, Franklin," guy 2 said. "I see guys like you my whole life, you roll into this country, in America and act like you own the fucking place. Pinches mayates thinking that you run LS, but then you somehow think you're a fucking big shot because you live in a big house in Vinewood."

Franklin turned his head towards the direction of that particular guy. He figured out who he was. The voice sounded familiar to him, despite having only met him once.

"You think you're the shit because you try to be the man," Franklin said. "You ain't shit because you think that if a girl is with you, you own her. Just like how you have to attack any other man who look her way, or even someone who ain't even blood-related to her. What next? You gon' bitch about her fuckin' ride?"

"Why did you say that? Why did you say that, you piece of shit, about a car?" Franklin could not see what was going on, but he heard a clatter and thud. He then felt a grip around his neck, but it wasn't that hard.

"Fuckin' tell me now!" guy 2 said.

"What's going on?" guy 3 said.

Guy 2 replied, "What's going on? What's going on is this dude seems to think he knows who the fuck I am!"

"No, I don't know shit," Franklin said.

"Tell me why the fuck you said that!" That guy wasn't giving up. "You're going to tell me! You're going to fucking tell me NOW!"

Right after that, Franklin felt a blow right to his stomach. The guy wasn't done, as Franklin felt another blow to his body.

"How do you know who the fuck I am? Come on, pendejo!"

"You ain't shit, homie," Franklin said. "I never forgot your voice, especially when you bragged about punching some Balla or Family G and 'made him cry like a little bitch.'"

It wasn't long until the bag was removed from Franklin's head and he looked around and didn't recognize where he was. Then he looked towards that guy in particular. He had a soul patch and short haircut. He knew it was him. Alonzo stood right before him. Rather than wear that jacket like he wore before, he was wearing a black tank-top. He then noticed three other guys. He suspected that one of them was the guy who was the "passenger" from before.

"Shut up, puto!" Alonzo said. "I'ma make you cry like a little bitch. That'll teach you from stealin' my car and fuckin' my girl."

"She my girl now, fool," Franklin said. "You whipped, asshole."

Alonzo then picked up a lead pipe and started to swing it right at various parts of Franklin's body and then socked him right in the face.

"Alonzo, that's enough!" the passenger/fare said.

"I ain't done with you, comprende?" Alonzo said as he backed away.

The guy who was the passenger walked forward and went up to Franklin.

"Well, ese, not so tough, are you?"

"Who the fuck are you?" Franklin said.

"They call me Big Queso," he said. "You know, I am not sure how long I can try to keep that fool in check, but from what you and some other chavalas did in our varrio, that ain't cool with us."

"I don't know what you talkin' bout," Franklin said.

Big Queso said, "Alonzo told me about how you, some lanky motherfucker, and some crackhead bitch came to our hood and took a car away. You come into our neck of the woods, that shit won't fly."

Franklin had to remain calm in this situation, otherwise he would be done for.

"Now, Alonzo, as much as he won't admit it, is a peewee compared to me," Big Queso said. "I am the shot caller of my hood. What do you got? You ain't got no shot callers on Forum Drive, do you?"

Franklin's face turned into a look of confusion.

"You see, I know who you are," Big Queso said. "Franklin Clinton. You used to roll with Chamberlain Hills Families. But somehow you struck it big. You think you're hot shit because you live in Vinewood. That's right, Alonzo told me. We were told about his issue with a cab driver. But then he found out that you're living large. Not to mention you took his girl."

"She didn't want to be with him no more," Franklin said.

"Ahhh, I see now," Big Queso said. "But still, you fuck with our cliqua, you fuck with the rest of the varrio, verdad?"

Franklin didn't know Spanish all too well, but he knew enough. He knew that "verdad" means 'right,' like when someone says "you know this, right?"

Big Queso then turned to Alonzo and signaled to him to get over there. But suddenly, a phone rang, as the ringtone sounded like the old song from Fatamarse called "Bump to the Music."

Alonzo actually found the phone and wallet lying on the table, along with Franklin's clothes. He picked up the phone and noticed that it was Liz called him. He then pushed "ignore." He then looked through his phone and noticed about three unread text messages. He then looked through them and it read stuff like, "I'm thinking about you, baby" and "Hey, is everything okay?"

Suddenly, Alonzo came up with another idea.

"Hey, Big Queso," he said. "I need to talk to you in private." He then looked to the other two guys, who were Cesar and Jose. "You two look after this puto."

It was amazing to Franklin that the other two guys were taking orders from a peewee gangster like Alonzo. Even on that day he met him, he realized that he was nothing more than a wannabe.

Alonzo and Big Queso went to another area of the place, which looked like a small warehouse.

"Hey, ese," Alonzo said. "I think I know a way how to earn my stripes. I've been wanting be one with la cliqua for a bit, you know?"

Big Queso turned away and then looked at home. "Don't take this the wrong, Alonzo, but you're still a long way from being a bonafide G."

"I ain't talking about being no shot-caller, no OG, nothing like that," Alonzo said. "I just want to run with la cliqua, you know what I'm saying?"

When the Big Cheese heard that, as "queso" in Spanish means "cheese," it reminded him of another man who used to run with the Vagos. It was a man named Gustavo Mota. However, he was off doing his own thing, but was willing to put it down for the set at any given moment.

"Okay, I see that you're serious about doing something like this," Big Queso said. "What do you have in mind?"

Alonzo didn't want anybody else to hear anything, as he leaned forward towards the shot caller's ear and whispered in it.

Meanwhile, Jose and Cesar stood before Franklin and tried to look all hard. Franklin didn't buy it, as he knew that those two were peewee gangsters of the highest order. They were far from going up the ranks, at least as part of their clique.

"You know, your friends really played us for a fool that night," Jose said.

Cesar added, "But lucky for us, we found a way to track your bitch-ass down. Alonzo had been wanting to take you out for too long, ese."

"But we got you now, fool," Jose said.

A smirk rose on Franklin's face at that moment. "You two fools make me laugh. You act like you all hard and shit. But you two ain't shit."

Cesar picked up the lead pipe, while Jose picked up a tire iron and started wailing on Franklin. They hit various parts of his torso and then his legs. It appeared that they weren't messing around at all.

At that point, Big Queso and Alonzo had found their way back to the area.

"Okay, enough!" Big Queso said. "I think he gets the message now."

"Not done yet," Alonzo said, who then got out a knife.

The other three fellow Vagos looked at him with shock, as did Franklin, whose facial expression exhibited even more shock. However, he used the knife to cut the rope that was holding him up. Franklin quickly fell off his feet, but right after he hit the ground, Alonzo went forth and kicked him in the gut a few times and then kicked him in his face. Blood started to ooze from his mouth. Franklin already had a few bruises on his body and on his face.

"Okay, Alonzo, I think he gets it," Big Queso said. "I say we drop him somewhere."

"I think I know the place," Alonzo said.

* * *

**30 minutes later.**

It was nighttime and a black Burrito was rolling around Davis. The van went a stop near Carson Avenue. It was close to Dollar Pills.

Being that they knew what gang Franklin was affiliated with, they figured they leave him in an area where he might not be welcome. It was in an area where the Ballas roamed.

Jose and Cesar carried Franklin out and threw him right near the dumpster that was in front of Dollar Pills and then removed the bag from his head. The two Vagos went into the van and then took off.

Franklin had a hard time getting to his feet. Lucky for him, he knew that someone lived close by. Surprisingly enough, he had his phone with him. He reached for it and called the one person who could help him that was close by.

He lied on the concrete and waited for the call to get through.

"Hello, Franklin?" a female voice said.

"Hey…b-baby, w-what's happenin'?" Franklin slowly said.

"Baby, what's wrong? You don't sound too good," Liz said.

"I am deep in shit right now," Franklin said. "I'm over in front of Dollar Pills on Carson. I need you to come get me."

"I'll be right there, hang on," Liz said and then hung up.

Franklin lied there and waited.

Liz drove just a few blocks away from her apartment and then pulled up to the parking lot of the drug store. She saw a man lying right in front of the dumpster. Goosebumps flared her skin as her eyes got bigger and then sped up into the lot and then stomped on the brakes and put the car into park. She quickly got out of the car and ran towards the man lying on the cement.

"Oh my god, Franklin?!" Liz yelled deliriously.

She then looked at Franklin's face, which was bruised and bloody. Her heart started racing as a chill went right through her veins at that moment. Without hesitation, she helped Franklin get to his feet and then opened the passenger door and helped him get in. She raced to the driver's side and immediately put the car into drive.

"Oh my god, Franklin, what happened to you?" Liz said.

"I don't want to talk about it," Franklin said.

"Just sit right there, baby, I'm taking you to the hospital," Liz said.

Lucky for them, the Central Los Santos Medical Center was close by. She quickly went to park the car in front of the hospital and helped Franklin out of the car and offered him her shoulder so that she could help him get inside.

She helped him get to the front desk.

"Somebody get him a doctor!" Liz yelled.

The woman at the desk said. "I need you to fill out a form."

"Fuck the form, lady!" Liz said. "Can't you see that he is badly hurt?"

The front desk lady saw Franklin's current state and had no choice but to contact someone to get him to an emergency room.

Liz helped Franklin sit on a chair and sat right beside him. She started to get teary-eyed at that moment.

"Baby, go home," Franklin said. "I…got…this."

Liz replied, "No, I'm not leaving you. I'm going to stay with you. I can't leave you like this."

She then leaned in and wrapped her arms around him. It was then that Franklin saw how lucky he was to have her.

Through the front door, however, a couple of Vagos were seen standing there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I will note a few things. One, during the interrogation scene, it was sort of inspired by the 2013 film "Pain & Gain."
> 
> As for what Alonzo might have planned, you shall wait and see. The title of this has to do with him "earning his stripes" to be one with the gang. For those that don't know, "peewee" in this case means someone who is not important, and I am depicting Alonzo as someone who is not important but now wants to be. I am using a YouTube video called "Franklin and Lamar (The Story About Liz)" as inspiration, but I am not going to say what he will do. I will leave you to find out.
> 
> Also, regarding Franklin's ringtone, that was a song in GTA III that was played on Lips 106. It was from a fictional singer/group called Fatamarse. Like I noted in the previous chapter, it appears that some of the fictional celebs from the 3D universe exist within the HD universe.


	10. By Your Side

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Franklin recounts the day that he met Liz, as well as got into it with her ex.

**Sometime before…**

One day, Franklin's phone rang and got a call from the Downtown Cab Company. Raul, the company's manager, told him about one of their regulars was demanding a ride from someone. Franklin accepted, but right before the conversation ended, Raul noted that the fare was "a bit of a dick."

It didn't matter, because Franklin was up for the task. It was odd that with some of the businesses he owned, the managers asked him to go fetch a van full of marijuana, some alcohol for the bar, and so forth. For the cab company, he had given a ride to a man who wanted to teach some bikers a lesson. He even gave a ride to a thrill-seeker and asked him to drive like a madman to the Vinewood sign. Los Santos was full of freaks.

Franklin drove his Buffalo to the ULSA campus and saw a man with a yellow Letterman jacket. He looked Mexican and had a tough-guy demeanor about him. It made him wonder if he was a Vago, but it didn't matter.

"You took your sweet time," the man said with a bit of a pushy tone.

"Where you going, man?" Franklin said.

The passenger responded, "Elgin Ave under the Olympic Freeway. Step on it!"

Franklin drove right on Americano and then turned onto North Rockford Drive.

"My girl's broken down, idiota," the man said. "I told her a hundred times about going out without me. And last thing I said was 'don't touch the car!' How many times do I have to put her back in line?"

"You keep 'em on a short leash, huh?" Franklin was only trying to contribute to the conversation by just engaging in some driver/passenger banter.

"You have to," the man said. "All these punks rubbing up on her the whole time. What is it with black guys and Latinas, ain't you got enough women of your own?"

Franklin rolled through Rockford Hills down Cougar Ave and then turned his head a tad. His eyes shifted a bit with a look of confusion.

"Man I ain't even gonna answer that," Franklin replied.

The man continued, "I caught this cabron making moves on her the other week, some Balla or Families or some bullshit punk-ass little gangster. Broke his jaw in five places, POW! With one punch, cried like a bitch!"

"Man, I wouldn't run my mouth if I was you. It's talks like that that'll get homie laid down." There was no doubt that Franklin was appalled at what this guy was saying. This guy sounded more than just an overprotective boyfriend, but rather a possessive one.

"Just do your job, Mr. Minimum Wage," the passenger condescendingly replied. "Don't try to be somethin' you're not."

He was not done, however. "And this vato she used to work with before I made her quit, I saw a missed call from him one time on her phone, and went there with a bat."

 _The fuck is up with this dude?_ Franklin thought. "Look, homie, I'll take you where you need to go, but save the stories for someone who don't see right through your ass."

The man responded, "Whatever, just drive, guey."

As Franklin rolled through Little Seoul, a cellphone rang. It was the passenger's phone, as he knew that it was his girlfriend calling him.

"On my way! What was the last thing I said to you about taking the car? Are you that stupid?"

Franklin looked up at his rear view mirror in the front seat of his car and looked at him with so much disgust in his eyes.

The man continued, "The crib better be spotless when we get back." After a quick pause, he continued. "You're done? No no no, you're done when I say you're done, you understand?!" The man then moved the phone from his ear and said, "Puta hang up on me."

Franklin crossed through Palomino Ave and was close to that building under construction on Calais Ave and then turned onto Adam's Apple Blvd. It was only a few blocks away until he got to Elgin Ave. The man said that she should be right under the overpass.

The car pulled up and there appeared to be a woman fixing a car under the overpass in an area where homeless people had set up their camp. Oddly enough, it was close to the Vanilla Unicorn and not too far from where Franklin's aunt lives. Franklin got closer to drop off the passenger. He noticed the girl fixing the car, as she was wearing tight-fitting jeans, showing her figure a bit and was also wearing a rather revealing halter-top.

"Dang, that girl is banging, how'd she end up with you?" Franklin admired the woman who was seen fixing the car. "Yeah, I'd definitely tear that up." Franklin smiled a bit. "Shit, maybe I will."

"What the hell did you say?" The passenger wouldn't have it though. "Get the hell out of there!"

The passenger quickly got out of the back seat and headed to the driver's door and pulled Franklin out of the car.

"Do you know who I am?!" the passenger said and looked towards Franklin's body lying on the cement. "I'll tear you up, hijo de puta!"

The man's girlfriend turned around and sighed. "This is exactly what I'm talking about! You brought this on yourself!"

Right when Franklin got to his feet, the passenger swung a right hand towards his face. He was not stupid, however, as he quickly ducked and socked him in the gut and delivered an uppercut, knocking the man down.

The girl said, "It's over, Alonzo! I mean it this time!"

Franklin then approached the young Mexican woman. "Sorry 'bout that."

The woman responded, "No, he had it coming. You did me a favor. Look, I know this sounds weird, but can you give me a ride?"

Franklin said, "Least I can do for kicking your boyfriend's ass."

" _Ex_ -boyfriend," the woman corrected him.

She immediately walked off and then went towards the Buffalo and went into the back seat. Franklin walked right by the man's body that was laid on the concrete and then drove off. The girl said that she has friends on Palomino Avenue in Little Seoul and that she may crash there for a few days.

As soon as he drove off, Franklin asked the girl if she was okay.

"I'm fine, makes a change for him to be slapped around instead of me," the girl said. "I've been trying to find an out for months, but he's so controlling. I mean, I like a man to protect me, but Alonzo's, like, 'serial killer crazy.' He wouldn't let me go out and see my friends. He'd check my cellphone every night. He beat up my stepbrother one time for giving me a hug goodbye, because he said he wasn't 'blood.'"

"Yeah, I think you could do better," Franklin said.

"You know, I've never seen anybody stand up to him like that before," she said.

Franklin replied, "Some things you don't let go."

The woman said, "I'm Elisa. Most people call me Liz."

"Franklin."

"Despite the circumstances, it's nice to meet you Franklin," Liz said.

It wasn't long until they reached their destination, as Franklin parked his car in front of an apartment building on Palomino Ave.

Liz said, "Thanks for…well, you know. I know it's not much, but here's my number. You should give me a call sometime."

Liz then got out of the car.

* * *

After that, Franklin woke up and saw it was morning. He noticed that he was lying in a hospital bed and looked around and saw a young beautiful Mexican woman sleeping on a mattress nearby. He just remembered that he was brutally tortured the day before and that his girlfriend gave him a ride to the hospital.

Speaking of rides, it made him remember everything about that day he gave Alonzo the ride to meet with Liz. He had a dream about that very day. It was clear to Franklin that he didn't like Liz's ex, especially with the way he talked about her. However, it made him wonder about one thing. Could Franklin have been the one who set Alonzo off?

While Liz's figure and beauty really caught his attention, Franklin suspected that if he didn't keep his mouth shut about his comments, the altercation wouldn't have happened. Then again, if he kept his mouth shut, it was possible, if likely, that Liz would have remained in an unhappy, abusive relationship. So in a lot of ways, he did Liz a favor.

Now Alonzo had gone after him in a big way. He went so far as to have some fellow Vagos get involved, especially the shot-caller. On the surface, it would seem that Alonzo went after him because of him being with Liz, but after having been told about jacking the car, it seemed like a bigger issue.

But why? Franklin and his friend Lamar had taken part in various car-jackings, as well as other forms of "repossession vehicles." When he and Lamar worked for that car salesman, it was almost as if car-jacking had become "legitimized." But to him, it seemed that Alonzo wanted more. At least that was the vibe he got when he was abducted.

It wasn't long until Liz had woken up and saw that Franklin was awake.

"Franklin, baby, how are you feeling?" Liz said.

"Like shit, but I think I'll be okay," Franklin said. "Why am I here?"

"You needed this," Liz said. "I couldn't just take you home or back to my place like this. You could barely walk when I saw you."

Those hits he took were pretty hard from the gang members. The one question on Franklin's mind was what Alonzo's motive was. His mind kept going back to that. It felt like more than just dealing with a psycho ex or a man who wanted his car back. This seemed like an initiation. Okay, maybe not an initiation, but rather a way for him to be recognized. For someone to take part in a torture, that was one of the ways to get in with the gang. But he couldn't confirm it.

"I stayed here with you overnight," Liz said. "I couldn't leave you like this."

She got closer and looked at his face. "This looks bad. What happened to you?"

He looked at Liz and was unsure if he should share what happened to him last night. He knew he had to tell her, but he was also sure that if he told her, she would fear for her life even more. He had to share it with her, though.

"I don't want to talk about it right now," Franklin said.

"You have to tell me sooner or later," Liz said. "I'm really worried." She paused for a bit. "Anyway, I think I should tell your friend Michael about you being in the hospital. Also, can you tell me some other friends I should reach so that they'll know to come visit you?"

With Liz asking him this, it really showed that he should bring her around other friends of his, though he is iffy about a few. But he needed all the support he could get. It was like he had no one to turn to, but he needed some people to come and see him. He could have died last night. Sure, those Vagos didn't go further in the torture, but they dumped him in the middle of Ballas turf. If any of those guys saw him, they would have likely killed him.

Franklin reached for his Badger smartphone and handed it to Liz. She found Michael's name on there and then called him.

"Hello? Oh, this is Liz, Franklin's girlfriend, remember me?" she said. "I am just letting you know that Franklin's in the hospital right now. I don't know what happened but I think you should come and see him. Well, if you want, you could try asking his other friends to come and see him. I think he would like that. Thank you."

Liz then ended the call. After she put the phone down, she leaned in and lied in the hospital bed with him. Franklin lied there and wrapped his arm around her, but shifted his eyes towards her with a look of skepticism.

_I got to tell her, but she'll be scared even more if I tell her who was behind it. If I don't tell her, I know that asshole will go after her. I can't let that happen._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this was a shorter one than usual, but it was the aftermath of the torture. I also know that it hasn't been long since chapter 9, but I wanted to continue, and I will continue from this one very soon.
> 
> I also must note that the majority of this chapter was the flashback sequence, but I wanted to recreate that side mission of when Franklin gave Alonzo the ride and then met Liz. It's also supposed to illustrate that Franklin wonders if he brought the conflict of him and Alonzo on himself.
> 
> The next one will be up soon.


	11. The Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Franklin gets some visitors at the hospital.

Franklin lied in the hospital bed with Liz right by his side. He turned on the TV to see what was on, as it was still morning. He had it on CNT.

_"Hello, I am decorated FIB agent David Norton and I welcome you to today's episode of 'The Underbelly of Paradise.' We will be looking at the gang life in South and East Los Santos."_

Franklin sat up and said "What the…?" He knew the person on the screen, but that wasn't the issue. He already knew that that FIB agent had taken over after the original host had been killed. Oddly enough, he knew the person who killed the former host. But that wasn't his problem.

He had been dealing with issues with a local street gang. He had thought that he had left the gang life completely. Sure, he had taken part in heists that were much bigger than any gang shootout or anything like that, but at the same time, the issues he had were over something petty. Or was it?

Franklin changed the channel and saw that "Admission Vinewood" was on and there were reports about the upcoming Impotent Rage movie, as well as a movie based on Kung Fu Rainbow Lazerforce coming out eventually. It was better than watching "The Underbelly of Paradise," after everything he had gone through the day before.

Liz then looked towards Franklin, whose eyes were pointed directly at the TV screen. She waved his hand on face.

Franklin jumped and then turned his attention towards Liz.

"Baby, are you okay?" Liz said. "What happened to you?"

He was at a loss for words. It was obvious that if he told her what happened and who was behind it, Liz would probably fear for her life even more. But if he didn't, chances were really good that Alonzo would go after her, or worse, have some of the other Vagos go after her themselves.

The vibe he got from the day before, it seemed that Alonzo wanted to prove his worth in the Vagos. He figured that he had ties to them when he gave him a ride that one time. The varsity jacket he wore had yellow on it, which was the flag color of the Vagos.

"I got mugged," Franklin said.

Liz looked at him with suspicion. She saw right through him and he knew it. She wasn't buying it at all.

"That's not what happened," Liz said and had that suspicious look on her face.

"I am serious," Franklin said. "Some fools jumped me and kicked my ass."

She noticed that Franklin still had his wallet and phone with him. If they mugged him, those things would have been gone. He would not have been able to contact her.

"Okay, you got me," Franklin knew for a fact that she saw through his lies. "Here's what happen, you see…"

Suddenly, a knock was heard at the door. Franklin looked up and Liz turned around to look up and then got up to open the door. On the other side stood a middle-aged white man with a dark blue suit and a gray shirt, along with a brunette woman, as well as a young blonde woman and overweight young man.

"Hello, Michael, right?" Liz said.

"Yes, it's good to see you again," Michael said. "You remember the rest of my family, right?"

"Yes, I do. Hey, Tracey," Liz said.

"Hi, Liz," Tracey said.

Amanda and Jimmy greeted her as well and shook hands with her, though Jimmy held onto her hand a little longer than normal.

"I think I'll need my hand back," Liz said.

"Oh, sorry," Jimmy said.

Franklin looked at Michael as he approached his friend. He wondered why he brought the whole family. Though he was close with Michael and sort of close with Jimmy, he barely knew Amanda and Tracey. But he supposed that they wanted to pay their respects. Regarding their daughter, it seemed that Liz and Tracey got friendly, so maybe in a way she was there to support her new friend.

"Geez, Frank, you look like shit," Michael said.

"You ain't got tell me twice, dog," Franklin said.

"I came as soon as your girlfriend told me," Michael said. "Jimmy got worried, so did Amanda and Trace." He took a closer look at Franklin's face. "Man, what the hell happened to you?"

"I don't want to talk about it," Franklin said.

Jimmy then approached Franklin. "You got to tell us, we're your boys, F-Dog. Did some fools try to jump you? I thought that you were tougher than that. A true G like that don't take no shit from no one, ya dig?"

Michael and Franklin, as well as Amanda looked at the young man with looks of minor disdain.

"Oh shit, my bad, homie, I didn't mean it like that," Jimmy said.

"Everyone, can you please just excuse us?" Michael said to everyone, ranging from his son to his wife to the two young ladies in the room. Everyone started to leave the room because Franklin had to share this with his friend, but was skeptical about sharing it with his girlfriend.

After the four had left the room, Liz had pressed her back against the wall right next to the door. Tracey looked at her new friend.

"What's wrong, Liz?"

"Franklin wouldn't tell me what happened to him," Liz said. "But I have a bad feeling about what could have happened."

"Seriously, Liz, no offense, but what happened to your boyfriend is nothing compared to having some commandos coming into your house and trying to kill me and my mom," Tracey said.

"Wait, what?!" Liz said.

"Nothing, nothing happened," Amanda cut in. "What my daughter was saying is that Franklin is a tough guy. He'll be fine."

Liz said, "I am sure that Franklin will be fine and I know he is tough, but I think something serious happened to him."

After she said that, she looked up and saw a tall bald man who looked like he hadn't bathed in quite some time, if the musk hadn't given off the vibe already. Amanda, Tracey, and Jimmy all turned around and saw this familiar man. Amanda gasped a bit when she saw this man.

"Trevor, what are you doing here?" Amanda said.

"What? I can't come and see my friend who is lying in a hospital bed?" Trevor said.

"No, it's not that," Amanda said. "I just don't think Michael had the chance to tell you."

Jimmy cut in. "I told Uncle T, Mom. I needed to let him know that Franklin was in the hospital."

"Hi, Uncle T!" Tracey said and then gave Trevor a hug. "My dad is in there with Franklin."

Trevor then looked at Liz, who then backed a tad when she made eye contact with him.

"Weeeellllll," Trevor said. "Who is this lovely young lady?" And then made a purring and growling sound.

"I…I'm L-Liz," she said. "I am F-Franklin's g-girlfriend."

Liz trembled a bit at the sight of this man, who grabbed her by the hand and gave it a small peck.

"It's okay, little lady," Trevor said. "You have a good man in there. I am just here to see my friend."

Trevor then walked into the hospital room, while Liz shook and then took a deep breath. Tracey and Amanda looked at her.

"Are you okay, Liz?" Amanda said.

"That guy seems…nice," Liz lied and Amanda saw it.

"Oh yeah, he is very nice," Amanda said sarcastically, but in their case, they had to replace "nice" with "creepy."

Trevor went inside the room and then Michael and Franklin looked right up at him.

"What the fuck? T? What are you doing here?" Michael said.

"I'm here to see F, M," Trevor said. "Is there a problem, amigo?"

"I was gonna call you, Trevor," Michael said.

"Well, sugar-tits, Jimmy texted me, so I came as soon as I heard," Trevor said. "Good thing I stay at the strip club sometimes, because it would have taken a lot longer to get my ass here from Sandy Shores."

"Don't blame me, T," Michael said. "His girlfriend called me through Franklin's phone and I didn't have time to let you know because I came as soon as I heard."

"Bullshit, you could have called me," Trevor said.

 _Shit, now I gotta deal with their bullshit._ Franklin thought. "Enough! It's bad enough that I gotta see you two go at it like a couple of bitches fighting over a man. I got my own shit that I need to worry 'bout right now. I am also scared for my girl out there."

Just then, that caught both of the attentions of the two men. Michael sat in the chair; while Trevor pulled up another chair so that they could listen to their friend speak.

"So tell me, Frank," Michael said. "What happened to you? I know you don't want to talk about this, but everyone else is gone except us two. You can tell us what happened and we can take care of this problem for you."

"Shit, it ain't like I can't walk," Franklin said. "I'll be feelin' good soon. But if you really wanna know, I'm finna tell you all the shit that I went through yesterday."

Just then, Trevor remembered that Franklin had to go "handle some stuff" the previous day. He was so urgent about it. Nothing good could have come out of it.

"Y'all wanna hear this?" Franklin said. "I got a call from the manager at the cab company that I own. Seemed that some fool needed a ride, but then it turned out I got jumped when I went to go pick up that fool. They took me somewhere and they beat my ass with pipes and shit. It turned out it was my girl's ex who was behind all that bullshit. He a member of the Vagos. They say it was because me and Lamar jacked a car, but I know it's because that fool sprung on Liz. But I also think that fool is plannin' some shit that I can't let my girl go through."

"What makes you so sure, Franklin?" Michael said.

"Y'all both know that I was a Families member, right?" Franklin said. "This fool tryin' so hard to get in deep with the Vagos that I think he finna try to smoke my girl or some other shit. Shit, he and his boys dumped my ass over in a Ballas territory so those fools could fuck me up."

Michael had a look of concern, as did Trevor. As much of a psychopath Trevor can be, he had a heart and he definitely felt his friend's pain.

"What's this guy's name?" Trevor said.

"T, don't," Michael said.

"I want to take care of this guy," Trevor said. "This guy wants to kill our boy, so we ought to take him out. We ought to do our boy a favor."

"Look, I wanna keep my girl safe," Franklin said. "I'm finna take that fool down, but it ain't the right time yet. I am afraid that he 'bout to go after her or worse, go after any other people."

The best Franklin could come up with was for him and Liz to get out of town for a little bit. He needed to be out of town for a little while. He knew he wanted to take care of Alonzo, as well as the others, but going to his house wouldn't be that simple. For all he knows, Big Queso, the shot-caller of the Rancho Vagos, would green-light a hit on Liz and get some of his other Vagos to raid Strawberry and go to her apartment room at The Tahitian.

Who knows what other ideas Alonzo could come up with? It didn't matter if he was a "peewee gangster." If he wanted to get in good with the rest of the gang, he had to do whatever it takes. Franklin knew this, as he had seen other Families members doing whatever they took to become one with them. He had even seen the same thing happen with Ballas, as well as Varrio Los Aztecas and the Marabunta Grande, who were even more vicious.

What was odd about all of this was that Liz had been wanting to take a vacation with Franklin. This could be an opportunity, even though it wasn't to enjoy themselves, but rather avoid any trouble. But even with them out of town, it was possible that the Vagos would go after anybody who was connected to Franklin.

Trevor added, "Well, Franklin, you and your lady could come stay at my place out in Sandy Shores. You know you're always welcome out there."

"'Preciate the offer, Trevor," Franklin said. "But no offense, your place ain't exactly the Venetian or the Emissary."

"Just thought I'd offer and that offer's still on the table," Trevor said.

"I think me and my girl will find somewhere else to lay low at," Franklin said.

"So I saw your lady, amigo," Trevor said to Franklin. "Quite a looker you got there, eh? You ever think she want to...you know?"

"T, I don't wanna hear none of yo dirty-ass fantasies," Franklin said.

"Shit, Franklin, I wasn't talking about fucking your girl," Trevor said. "I was wondering if she would like to dance at the club or something."

Michael said, "I don't know, Trev. It's hard to see when you look at a woman, or a man, for that matter."

"Hey, shut up, Mikey," Trevor said. "I know you fucked other women when Amanda left your fat ass. Don't act like you're above fucking other ladies."

"Hey, Amanda and I are doing a lot better, thank you very much," Michael said.

"Will you two shut up?" Franklin said. "First off, Trevor, I don't think Liz is the type to dance naked on stage like that. Second, I need to get the fuck outta here ASAP."

"Well, Frank," Michael said. "You got us if shit gets heavy. We got your back. You can count on us."

Meanwhile, out in the hall, Liz waited around with the rest of Michael's family. Jimmy slowly walked towards Liz.

"So, um," Jimmy said. "How…do you know Franklin?"

Liz looked up and noticed the young man talking to her. Rather than brush it off, she responded.

"Well, he gave me a ride one day and I gave him my number," Liz said. "There was just something about him that I liked."

"Well, uh, Franklin…is…a good guy," Jimmy said. "He and my dad saved me from some gang members trying to kidnap me."

Liz saw that Jimmy was looking at her with goo-goo eyes with his mouth open a tad.

"Are you okay?" Liz said.

"I think I need to go somewhere to breathe," Jimmy said.

After Jimmy walked away, Tracey walked up to talk to Liz. "Hey, what's up with your brother?"

"Don't worry about him," Tracey said. "He clearly likes you, but he doesn't know how to talk to girls much."

"I can see that," Liz said. "Doesn't he know that I have a boyfriend?"

"You should see how he acts with some of my friends," Tracey said. "You know, I was wondering, would you ever like to hang out with me sometime?"

"What?" Liz said.

"I am saying that you and I are pretty cool and I was thinking that maybe we could hang out," Tracey said. "I think I met a good guy recently and was thinking maybe we can have a double-date or something."

"Tracey, you're alright, but we barely know each other," Liz said.

"We have been talking to each other for a couple of weeks now before and after class," Tracey said.

"Never mind, Tracey," Liz said. "I am just really worried about Franklin right now."

"I think he'll be fine," Tracey said.

It wasn't long until Michael and Trevor got out of the room. Amanda approached Michael.

"Hey, baby," Amanda said. "How is he doing?"

"He'll be okay," Michael said. "I just think that he needs to take a vacation or something."

Liz realized what Michael meant by "vacation." While she had talked to her boyfriend about taking a vacation, she was sure that this would be no ordinary vacation. Suddenly, she had an idea on what was going on.

"It was great seeing you all," Liz said to Michael and his family. "It was nice you meeting you, too." She said to Trevor and then went back into the room.

Michael and the rest of his family, as well as Trevor looked at her funny.

Amanda said, "Is she okay?"

Michael replied, "I don't know. She is really worried about Franklin that's for sure."

After what he and Trevor were told, they can't blame her.

Liz went back into the room and stood before Franklin, who looked right at her. She had a look of concern which then grew into a look of disappointment, much to Franklin's confusion.

"Franklin, you have to tell me right now what happened to you yesterday," Liz said.

Franklin looked away for a bit. Not because he was embarrassed. But rather he was reluctant to tell her. Despite his reluctance, she had to know either way. His life was at stake, her life was at stake.

"Okay, Liz, here it goes," Franklin said.

Out of nowhere, the door opened and in walked a lanky African-American man, as well as an older African-American woman. Liz looked at the two. She figured that they were connected to Franklin, as they were both wearing green. She had an idea that Franklin was connected with the CGF before.

"Aunt Denise? Lamar?" Franklin said. "How the hell did you find out that I was in the hospital?"

"Trevor filled me in on all that shit," Lamar said. "I was with yo' aunt when he told me."

Denise said, "What kind of trouble did you get yourself into, boy?" She then looked at Liz. "And who is this heifer?"

"Excuse me?" Liz said. "Who are you calling 'heifer'?"

"Aunt Denise, that's my girlfriend Liz," Franklin said. "Liz, meet Lamar and my crazy aunt Denise."

Lamar gladly shook her hand, while Denise greeted her, but not without having a look of mild derision.

"Hey, dog," Lamar said. "I heard yo' ass got jumped."

"You don't know the half of it, homie," Franklin said.

"Well, remember what I said? It seem that the Vagos are trippin' over that lick with that car that one night," Lamar said.

Liz's eyes got bigger the moment she heard that and then looked towards Lamar and then towards Franklin.

"Um, Lamar?" Franklin said.

"Now the Vagos are axing around about all that shit," Lamar said. "Did the Vagos do this to you?"

Liz breathed a couple of times and started to shake a bit. She knew that when Franklin got the car back for her that it wasn't through any legal means. However, she was now getting an idea on what happened.

"Are you up to your old tricks again, Franklin?" Denise said.

Franklin looked towards his woman, who put the palm of her right hand against the left side of her chest, as she started panting at that moment.

"Both y'all shut the fuck up," Franklin said and then looked to Liz. "Hey, girl, you okay?"

"You have to tell me what happened!" Liz said. "I'm starting to wonder now."

Denise and Lamar looked at her with shock. Each time Franklin was about to tell her, he was interrupted by a visitor coming in.

"Lamar, Aunt Denise, get out right now, y'all might be in danger soon," Franklin said.

"We just got here," Denise said.

"I'll hit you up soon," Franklin said. "I got to tell my girl something."

Denise and Lamar left the room. Liz sat down in the chair because she had been waiting all morning to be told about what happened.

"Franklin, it's just me and you now," Liz said. "Please tell me."

Franklin took another deep breath. "Okay, you wanna know? Here it goes. Your asshole ex-boyfriend and some of his boys kidnapped and tortured me last night."

Liz gasped and put her right hand to her mouth.

"I went to go pick up some guy because the manager at the cab company had told me that this guy asked for me to pick him up. The moment I get out there, the guy held me up, then Alonzo. Oh, I know it was Alonzo." He said with so much anger in his voice. "He pointed a gun at me too. They took me somewhere. They fuckin' tortured me. Even the shot-calla was there. They say that they after me for giving your ride back to you, but I know it's all bullshit."

A tear emerged from Liz's right eye, as well as another in her left eye. She panted again and then turned her body in opposite directions a couple of times.

"I can't believe this," Liz said.

"You think that's bad?" Franklin said. "I got a feeling that he doin' this to prove his damn self. He be telling the big man about he tryna get in good with the gang. And when something like that happen…"

Liz interrupted, "He will do whatever it takes. Shit, we got to get out of here."

She was so overcome with emotion that she almost started to cry about this. She thought that she was done with Alonzo, but it turned out it was far from over. This wasn't just a case about a psycho ex-boyfriend who was mad about another man being with her. It has gone deeper than that. He was trying to gain recognition in the gang.

"Listen, we need to get the fuck out of here today," Liz said. "We need to get out of Los Santos at least."

At that point, Franklin got out of the hospital bed, but suddenly, his phone started ringing. It was Lamar who was calling.

"Hey, homie, what's happenin'?" Franklin said.

"Thought you should know," Lamar said. "As me and yo' aunt was leavin', we saw some Vagos driving by. A couple of guys and a couple of girls. You better get the fuck up outta there, nigga."

"Thanks, homie," Franklin said. Without hesitation, he got up and took off his hospital gown and went to find his clothes.

"What's going on, Franklin?" Liz said.

"Some of yo' ex's boys are comin'," Franklin said.

Fear rose through Liz's veins at that point. It wasn't clear what would happen. Would they just go in and shoot up the medical facility before they got to Franklin? Or were they going to wait until he leaves to make their move? If the latter was the case, how would they know he would check out?

But it didn't matter. Both of their lives were at stake. It was time to get out of dodge.

Franklin threw on the clothes he wore the previous day. He realized that he wasn't strapped, as he left some guns in his Buffalo. So he had to think of another way to get out of there.

Despite being banged up, Franklin was able to move right. He may have limped a bit, but he could walk. He opened the door and peeked outside to make sure that no Vagos were around to try to clap him.

"Let's go," Franklin said. He walked with Liz following him. They looked towards the elevator and made their way to get down the ground level. They were in the lobby now and daylight went through the windows. He took a peek outside and noticed some guys in yellow shirts and girls with wife-beaters on and yellow rags standing outside talking. Some looked like they were smoking.

"Where did you park?" Franklin said.

Liz replied, "I parked out there." She looked in the direction where those gang members were.

"Shit, what can I do?" Franklin looked around and noticed something on the wall near him. It was a fire alarm switch. "Got it."

He hit the switch so that the fire alarm will go off. Suddenly, everyone in the lobby started freaking out and getting out of the hospital. Franklin and Liz walked out of the lobby as if they were sneaking. They looked around to look for the black Gauntlet. They made a break for it, as the fire alarm had everyone get out of the hospital lobby. It was enough to distract the Vagos that were hanging around the area.

The couple approached the car. Liz clicked the car to unlock it. One female Vago turned around and saw them.

"Hey, those are those two putos!" the Vago girl said.

Inside the car, Franklin told Liz to hand him the key as he said that he will drive. He looked at the rear-view mirror and noticed the gang members looking towards them.

"Shit!" he said. He started up the car. The radio was on Non-Stop-Pop-FM as "Wifey" from Next was playing. It wasn't the right song, so he changed it to West Coast Classics and "Throw Ya Set in the Air" from Cypress Hill started playing. Franklin hit the gas and they were on their way.

Gunfire was heard. Some bullets went their way, but Franklin was going rather fast that it could have avoided any gunshots. All that mattered was that they were getting out of there.

The first stop was to go to Liz's apartment to pick up some clothes for her to bring.

"Hey, girl, take whatever you can get," Franklin said. "Next stop is my crib so I can some clothes. I don't know where we'll go, but it's a lot safer than out here."

"I'll be right back, baby," Liz said and then leaned in to kiss him. She looked back towards him when she was about to exit the car. She looked around to make sure no one was looking for her.

Franklin got out his phone and called Lamar. "Hey, dog. Listen, I'm finna get the fuck outta here. I'm gonna be outta town for a few days. Me and my girl will, actually. I need you to go to Murrieta Heights to look for my whip. It's out on Capital Blvd near that LT Weld place. When you find it, can you take it back to my crib?"

"Sure thing, homie," Lamar said. "If shit gets hot out here, we'll handle that shit for ya."

"One thing you need to know, homie, is that you better watch your ass in Murrieta Heights," Franklin said. "That is also Vagos turf."

"Hey, I gotta ask you one thing," Lamar said. "You think that those assholes still mad about that lick with the bike that one time? When we went to Vespucci Beach?"

"Fool, it ain't always about one thing," Franklin said. "If that guy gives them the green-light, then we all fucked. If shit gets hot, you and my aunt better get outta there, too."

"Don't worry 'bout us, patna," Lamar said. "We got a lot of guys in our set finna put it down for the hood. We all got this."

"Yeah, well, we finna go to my crib and get my shit, as well as chop," Franklin said. "Be careful, homie."

Lamar replied. "Keep it gangsta, dog."

Right when he got off the phone, Liz had come back to the car. They had to make one more stop. It was going to be quite an adventure for both of them. Liz had wanted to take a trip, but it was definitely not under these circumstances. It didn't matter, though. She was going to be with him. She wanted to be safe and she wanted to make sure he was safe, too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm going to do this. For anybody who will comment, I want to know this. Which could be their better destination to lie low: Blaine County, in areas like Sandy Shores or Paleto Bay? Or should I have them go to San Fierro? If you have any ideas, feel free to write them in a comment. Thank you.
> 
> Also, "Admission Vinewood" is my parody name for "Access Hollywood."
> 
> "Wifey" performed by Next. Copyright 2000 Arista Records.
> 
> "Throw Ya Set in the Air" performed by Cypress Hill. Copyright 1995 Ruffhouse Records/Columbia Records/Sony Entertainment.


	12. Lying Low or Going Low

It had been hours since Franklin and Liz made their exit out of Los Santos and headed out to Sandy Shores. Neither of the two knew how long they would be out of town for, but it was for their own good. Who knows how long until any of the Vagos would go after either of them? It was bad enough that Liz's ex-boyfriend got some information on Franklin.

They had no choice in the matter. They felt that it would only be a few days to a week tops. Franklin even had to go pick up his dog Chop, because he needed to feed him and keep him safe.

Franklin's friend Trevor had offered his trailer for the couple to stay, but Franklin declined. It would be too messy of a situation, both figuratively and literally. So they found the next best thing. They made a stop at The Motor Motel off of Route 68 in the Grand Senora Desert.

The place looked old and had a musty smell to it. It wasn't the Rockford Hotel, The Venetian, or any fancy hotel or motel, but it didn't matter. They needed a place to stay.

Inside a motel room, Liz parked herself on the bed with her whole body up and her left hand to her ear.

"Listen, Mom," Liz said on the phone. "I am out in Sandy Shores with my boyfriend. We took a trip out here." She sat there with her mouth closed. "Yes, I know it was last minute, but I didn't have classes for the rest of the week. Yes, I know, I should bring him by so that you, Arturo, and Antonio could meet him. No, he is not like Alonzo, or Kyle for that matter. Anyway, I'll talk to you soon. I love you, bye."

It wasn't long until Franklin had sat down. He extended his arm and wrapped it around her shoulder, while Liz sat there and looked at the floor and then at the ceiling with a long face.

"Are you okay, girl?" Franklin said.

"I'm just scared, okay?" Liz said.

"Look, we here, we alive, everything will be okay," Franklin said.

Suddenly, a tear had emerged from Liz's right eye and then turned her body and grabbed Franklin by wrapping her arms around him and then leaned her face against his shoulder.

"Damn, girl, what's going on?" Franklin said.

Liz backed her head away from his shoulder a tad. "You have no idea how scared I am right now. When you told me that Alonzo had tortured you and now is after both of us, I couldn't believe it. I thought I was done with him."

Liz continued to cry a bit but then Franklin put both of his hands on the sides of her face.

"Liz, I know it don't seem like that, but I'm scared, too," he said. "I'm scared that he be finna go after anybody we know. I don't want nothing more than to be safe, but I can't let that fool think I'm a bitch in this situation."

"Baby, you try to go after him, some of his other friends will go after you," Liz said. "And I'm not about to lose you over some macho bullshit, either."

Liz leaned in once again and pressed her forehead against his shoulder as the tears continued to run down her face. She reached her right hand and wrapped it around his back and ran it down a couple of times.

"I need to ask you something," Liz said. "What was this talk about my car? When your friend said something about the car, it made me wonder. Tell me what happened that night when you got it back for me."

Franklin inhaled and exhaled the moment his girlfriend was done talking. It was odd for them to talk about this, especially since this whole thing happened about a month ago. But it took Alonzo some time to try to make his move on Franklin, so it didn't matter. Time wasn't important, as long as he made his move, whether to earn his stripes for the set or to exact revenge on his ex's current boyfriend.

"You really wanna know, huh?" Franklin said. "Okay, my boy Lamar and I, along with a friend of ours, Tonya, went to go get your car at your ex's place. A guy I know told me that he stay out in Rancho. I thought it would be a good idea to get your car back for you. I was finna just go in, grab your keys, and get the fuck on outta there, but my boy decided to just pick up a tow truck so that we could tow the truck away. I went in while Alonzo was fuckin' some other bitch and grabbed the keys. If this were any other type of lick, I'd a just gone and hotwired that shit and get the fuck on. But I needed your keys, so I grabbed the keys while that asshole was gettin' his dick sucked."

Liz looked right in his eye. She was very appreciative of what he had done. She wasn't surprised as she was sure that he had been involved in some criminal activity. However, from what it sounded like, being that it happened in Rancho, where the Vagos roll, if some stuff like that goes in a gang-ruled neighborhood, that won't sit well with the set.

Now with Alonzo wanting to put it down for the set, there was a reason behind it, and Franklin and Liz were in trouble.

"You know, earlier, I started to think," Franklin said.

"About what?" Liz said.

"I think that if I ain't had said shit about you that day I gave Alonzo that ride, that we wouldn't be in this shit," Franklin said.

"What are you talking about?" Liz said.

"When I pulled up, while I saw you fixin' your whip, I said that 'you were bangin'' and that 'I would tear that up.' I think that if Alonzo didn't try to fight me, then that asshole wouldn't be going after us like this."

"Don't say that," Liz said. "If it wasn't for you, I would still be with him and he would be beating me all the time. I am sure I probably wouldn't be here by now if you hadn't given him what he deserved."

She had a point. It was possible that Alonzo's abuse could have gotten worse if she stayed with him. It could have led to him hurting her a lot more, maybe to the point of him killing her at any point.

Liz looked up and Franklin looked down towards her. Their eyes locked and then their faces slowly moved towards each other. A sound blared, as it sounded like the song "Bump to the Music" from Fatamarse. It only meant one thing.

"Hold on a sec, baby," Franklin said and then looked at his phone and his eyes bulged at who appeared on the screen.

"Hello? Tanisha?"

 _Tanisha?_ Liz thought to herself. _Is that Franklin's ex?_ She had been told about his ex before. At some point, he had mentioned her name to Liz, so she was aware of her.

"Franklin," a woman's voice said. "I heard that you are in trouble."

"Who told you?" Franklin said.

"Lamar hit me up earlier and told me that some guys came after you and some shit," Tanisha said. "What's going on?"

"My girl and I just took off for a few days," Franklin said. "We took Chop with us, too, so we cool."

"Your girl? When did you meet someone new?" Tanisha said.

"That ain't important," Franklin said. "We got into some shit. We needed get our asses out of town for a few days. Look, I'll hit you up when we get back or somethin'. Talk to you later, bye."

Liz's eyes were aimed right at her boyfriend. Her eyes were still moist, if a little watery. She sat there with a long face. She had heard Franklin mention another woman's name. Should she be suspicious?

"Who was that?" Liz said.

"Oh, just a friend," Franklin said.

"You sure?" Liz said.

"Shit, baby, you ain't gotta trip," Franklin said. "If you wonderin' who she is, she just an old friend from way back."

"Like an old girlfriend?"

"Okay, she my ex, but it ain't like that no more," Franklin replied. "She with some doctor now."

He sat on the bed beside her and raised his right arm and lowered it behind her back. "Besides, you my girl now. Shit ain't like that with her. She just an old friend and that's all she is. We grew up together, so she checkin' in on me to see what was up. I still care about her, but it ain't like that no more with her. You my girl and ain't nothin' gon' change that."

She wasn't sure if she should believe that. But why? He had told her about Tanisha, but there was no implication about him wanting to be with her anymore. He hadn't told her about Tanisha much. But why should he? Even though she is an old friend of Franklin's, the whole thing about him wanting to be with her was no longer an issue.

She sat there and looked away but he leaned in and put his arm around her. He leaned in as his face got closer. Liz closed her eyes and then leaned in forward. Their lips locked and Liz extended her arms and wrapped them around his back. She quickly moved her arms away and put her hands on both sides of Franklin's face as she kissed him on his dark lips. He continued to do the same, until she felt a slight breeze on the sides of her torso and the breeze increased until she felt her shirt roll past her bra.

From that moment, she got her phone and found a playlist of songs to set the mood. She put it on "All the Things (That Your Man Won't Do)" from Joe. Right when the music started playing, she raised her arms as Franklin pulled her shirt up over her head as the shirt had gone off. Liz then started to pull up Franklin's shirt and he did the same thing as she helped him take off his shirt. He was still wearing a wife-beater, but from the looks of things, it had some red stains on it, likely from the night before. He proceeded to take that undershirt off.

Franklin continued to kiss her and then ran his lips down to her neck and then went down to chest. She still had her bra on, but that was about to wait as he put her back right onto the bed but her feet right on the floor. He continued to run his lips down her stomach and her belly button. He got lower and got to the waistband of her jeans and unbuttoned her pants and then unzipped them. He pulled her pants down. She kicked out her legs as he pulled them down some more until they were off.

She sat up while she was in her underwear and then started undoing his pants. She got to her feet and started doing the same thing he did to her as she caressed his heating body up against hers and kissed him in various places.

Franklin reached for her back and undid her bra. She backed away from him and extended her arms forward as he slowly pulled off her bra. He wasted no time and put his face against her breasts and rubbed his face in between them. It wasn't long until he put his mouth against her right nipple and then grabbed her by her butt.

In that moment, Liz put her hand down his boxer shorts and rubbed him down there. Franklin wrapped his lips around her nipple and then opened it and rubbed his tongue against it and did the same to her left nipple and then cupped her right boob in the process. As she continued to rub his penis, he reached down to her panties and put his hand inside and started to finger her vagina.

Their body heats started to increase, enough that Franklin started to get hard after Liz continued to play with his dick. Her mouth opened agape and her eyes closed as he continued to finger her. Liz got her hand out his boxers and got her left and right hands and pulled them down from both sides of the waist band as she knelt to the floor and pulled them down. Franklin sat on the bed as she went down.

What was puzzling about all of this was that they hadn't cleaned themselves up because they got to the Grand Senora Desert from Strawberry and Vinewood. Liz had still been in the same clothes she wore the previous day when she went to meet up with her friends. It probably wasn't much of an issue. Franklin had often called Liz to hook up when they had their "friends with benefits" relationship and he had been fresh from a gunfight or even doing some inane task, like go skydiving with a late thrill-seeker. He even hooked up with her when he was fresh off of sleeping with a stripper or even a hooker. He was even sure that she had slept with other men before they had started dating.

It could also be said when they had sex at Franklin's house after taking a dip into the pool. They had their bodies full of chlorine, but that didn't stop them. Not one bit.

It could be said that they had some rather high sex drives. For Franklin, he needed an outlet to get his mind off of his ex and had plenty of trysts with four strippers and also Liz after they first met. It was crazy that after they first met, when Liz had told Franklin about the abuse she took from her ex, she often talked dirty to him when he gave her a ride home. He even remembered when she said that she hoped he had breakfast, because she was ready to "go hard."

She ran her mouth up and down his penis a few times. There was little doubt how fired up she was at that moment. It was odd how scared and emotional she was moments ago, but maybe this was a way to get her mind off of it. It was working, as she continued to work on Franklin's manhood and got her body up and then turned her back towards him. He slapped one of her butt cheeks, which resulted in a smile. He cupped and slowly rubbed her butt and squeezed it. She slowly backed her body against his. Franklin started running his hands up her abdomen and under her boobs and cupped both of them and squeezed them.

Liz had backed her head against his shoulder and turned to face him and gave him kiss on the lips. She backed away and then smiled and moved her eyebrows up and down. She mouthed "Are you ready, baby?" to him.

Franklin smiled and Liz got up to her feet. Franklin looked towards his pants and then reached for his wallet and opened it up and found a condom inside. He undid the wrapper and put it on. Liz jumped her naked body back first right onto the bed. Franklin slowly got onto the bed. Liz spread her legs. She was ready to go, as her boyfriend was going in.

"Oh, me gusta, papi," Liz said that "she likes it, daddy" in Spanish.

He went in and started to move up and down a bit. He started slowly, but she insisted that he go a little faster. It didn't take long for the speed to increase. He knelt up and then moved her body up as they continued to face each other. He extended his legs as he sat right on the bed. They continued to have intercourse as Franklin placed his hands right onto her behind and once again placed his face against her breastplate and licked her heated chest. She then gently pushed him to back down and lie right on the mattress as she sat up right on him. They continued to thrust and it got harder, too. She leaned forward and Franklin grabbed her boobs and squeezed and played with them. As it got harder, they started to moan and groan. Franklin moaned hard, as did Liz, as they finally reached the climax.

Liz had dropped her body off of Franklin's, while he had gotten close to her and caressed her body and gave her a kiss on the lips. Both of them were sweaty from the steamy sex that they just had, but it was all worth it for them.

It wasn't long until Liz went to take a shower to clean herself up. Whether it was from the fact that she hadn't done it all day or from the sweaty sex that she endured, or maybe it was both. She needed to clean up.

But it didn't take long for Franklin to join her in the shower. Though he needed to clean himself up as well, it appeared that he wasn't done. He went in and caressed her body and kissed her on the lips and scrubbed her tan naked body, while she did the same thing to his dark naked body.

After a while, they had dried themselves up from their shower and put on some clothes that they brought with them. Franklin went to pet Chop a bit and looked to see if he brought any food for the dog. Liz sat on the bed and looked at the floor again. Franklin looked behind and walked forward and tilted his head a tad to get glimpse of her face.

"You okay, Liz?" Franklin said.

"Oh, yes, I'm okay," Liz said. "I'm still scared about everything."

"Hey, you been sayin' that you wanted to go on a trip," Franklin said. "This is pretty much a trip, 'specially since you wanted to go out here."

"I did want to go on a trip," Liz said. "But not like this. We had to get out of town because some people are after us. We don't even know if any of those guys are out here."

"Trust on me this, girl," Franklin said. "There ain't no Vagos out in these parts. Sure, I mighta seen some bikers and meth-heads, but there ain't no Vagos out here. We safe from all them. 'Sides, my boy Trevor run shit in these parts. So we good."

Liz realized that her boyfriend meant that scary-looking man that she met at the hospital. However, after he told her that she "has a good man in there," she supposed that he can't be all that bad, though he came on a little strong at first glance.

"So you wanna see what's out in these parts?" Franklin said. "Come on, I'll show you around. It ain't all what's out here. We can check out Paleto Bay and some other shit."

Liz kept her mouth shut and got up from the bed. She was dressed casually, with a blue T-shirt that showed her midriff a bit that she bought at Sub Urban as well as some jeans and those red sneakers that she wears.

Franklin put on an LS Corkers T-shirt, along with some tan cargo shorts and Eris shoes.

Franklin had put a leash on Chop and had it strapped somewhere so that the dog won't go running wild around the motel room. He still had the keys to Liz's Gauntlet. Though it was her car, he knew this area better than her. She was ready to go and do whatever he takes her to do.

He started the car and put it on Space 103.2, as "You and I" from Rick James started playing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There will be more for these two to do soon. I must note that I went all out on the erotic sequence (Also known as a "lemon"). It was longer than the one on chapter 6, I will say that.
> 
> They are staying at the motel that was shown in Sandy Shores during that random event when any one of the protagonists can drive this drunken couple from a bar to the motel. Or when playing as Trevor, he could drive them to the Altruist Cult.
> 
> Regarding the sex scene, I had it in my mind that the song "All the Things (That Your Man Won't Do)" from Joe would be playing. That is one of my all-time favorite songs from Joe, or even R&B songs for that matter. Of course, I just won't think of the sex scene from "Don't Be a Menace," because that scene was actually meant to be funny.
> 
> Fun fact: When I had mentioned that "You and I" from Rick James was playing, that was one of the deleted songs for that station's playlist.
> 
> "All the Things (That Your Man Won't Do)" performed by Joe. Copyright 1996 Island Records/Jive Records/Zomba Entertainment/RCA Records.
> 
> "You and I" performed by Rick James. Copyright 1978 Gordy Records/Motown Records.


	13. A Night at The Hen House

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Franklin and Liz head out to Paleto Bay while in exile to have a good time. Liz runs into an old flame.

It hadn't been a day since Franklin and Liz took off to escape any potential further threats on their lives. In fact, it had only been hours since they fled Los Santos and headed out into Blaine County to lie low.

What was crazy about all of this was that Liz had wanted to go away for a little bit. She was even fascinated about going out to Blaine County, as she hadn't gone north of LS much, if at all. She had wanted to experience other parts.

But this wasn't the way she envisioned it. Not like this by a long shot. With her ex-boyfriend wanting her and Franklin dead, as well as likely using this as a way to get more respect in his set, she feared the worst in what could happen.

For the rest of the day, the two checked out various parts of Blaine County. Liz had little familiarity of how life in "the sticks" was, as this was likely her first experience in going to that area. It felt very isolated, yet there were people walking around that area. So it was definitely an inhabitable place to be.

It had been hours since the couple had taken off from their motel room. Franklin had shown Liz the areas like Sandy Shores and the Alamo Sea. However, there wasn't really a lot to check out. However, Liz found it interesting, as the city life could be overwhelming at times.

One thing that she noticed that wasn't as prevalent in the barrio was that there were a lot of tweakers in the area. It appeared that a lot of meth-heads were swarming in that area. Sure, drug abuse is common anywhere, but even some people she knows won't touch that stuff, even though she had some friends who had tried harder drugs.

But that wasn't really an issue. It felt like it was a lot more and in the middle of nature, even if it was rather warm as it always is in the desert.

It was now evening and Franklin knew a place that was northwest on the map that had a lot of places to go to. It was definitely far from where they were staying, but hey, they were far from home at that point.

They were sitting right by the water at the Alamo Sea. It was a large body of water that was right by the Grand Senora Desert. It had quite a large space, enough that a triathlon starts in that general area at times, usually for those who want to go a long way to end up all the way at the Kortz Center in Pacific Bluffs.

With night falling at that very moment, as well as them being by the water, the temperature had dropped considerably. The desert heat was decreasing, as it started getting colder.

Franklin stood up and looked around to see what was going around them, while Liz sat there and stared into the distance towards the water. Throughout the entire day, even though she was enjoying spending the whole day with her man, she wondered what Alonzo was planning to do. She hoped that he wouldn't go after her mother, her stepfather, and her stepbrother, or even her friends.

It was tough to grasp those possibilities. She thought that she was done with him, but she couldn't be more wrong. This pushed the limits of a psychopathic ex-boyfriend a step further.

Franklin's eyes shifted towards her, as she continued to stare off into the distance.

"Hey, Liz, you okay?" Franklin said.

Liz jumped the moment she heard him. Even with cars, trucks, and motorcycles rolling around in that area, the sound of Franklin's voice had startled her out of her own personal silence.

"Oh, I'm fine," Liz said. "Just been thinking a lot."

"Hey, listen, I'm finna take you some place," Franklin said. "There's a place I wanna take you to."

"What is around here for us to do?" Liz realized that there weren't a lot of options to go to out there for dinner or to get a drink. One place they could go to was the Yellow Jack Inn, but…

"Actually, I'm finna take you somewhere a little farther," Franklin said.

"Where?" Liz replied.

"We goin' to Paleto Bay, girl," Franklin said.

It was going to be quite a drive from Sandy Shores to that town, but it wasn't a big deal. Franklin had taken part in a big heist in that area, but it wasn't like he wasn't welcome there. There was no way that any surviving cops from that score would even recognize him, or any of his cohorts involved.

Liz was still unfamiliar with this area, so like before, Franklin took the wheel. However, this time, Liz had an idea of her own.

"Baby, listen, how about if I pick the music this time?"

"Shee-it, what do you got?"

Liz got her phone and looked through her playlist, but then she remembered she had something in the console of the car, as she played a CD recently. She found a CD of Lala Romero's "La La Land" and put it in the disc drive.

"Girl, you still buy CD's?" Franklin said.

"Yeah, I still buy and listen to some," Liz said. "But I got more music on my phone in case you want to listen to some other stuff."

"Ain't no thang, girl," Franklin said. "I still buy some myself. I even cop some vinyl from time to time. I be trying to look out for that Madd Dogg and OG Loc collab album that about to drop soon."

One thing that she had noticed is that a lot of the stations can still be played out in these parts, except that West Coast Talk Radio cannot be received out there, with Blaine County Radio now being the talk station that they can listen to. But she was in the mood for her music this time. She put the CD on shuffle and it started playing "Sprung on a Thug" from Lala Romero and The Game.

It was going to take a bit to get there, but it wasn't an issue.

It took about an hour, maybe a little more to get there, but they finally arrived. What amazed Liz about this town was that it looked like there was more to do, as well as that it didn't feel like it was in the middle of nowhere.

Franklin had pulled up to a parking spot around Paleto Boulevard and Duluoz Avenue. The couple then got out of the Gauntlet and they slowly walked up with Liz looking up right at the sign.

"The Hen House?" She wondered what kind of place this was. It said bar and nightclub under the red lettering of the business's sign. This wasn't Bahama Mama's they were talking about here. Franklin didn't know much about this place either. He knew that Trevor owned the place, but he had never gone inside. This was the first time for him, too.

The two were about to check a new place themselves. They walked in and were shocked to see how the nightlife in Paleto Bay was. For a small town, this establishment seemed like the place to be. Some music was blaring over the speakers, the kind that would be heard on Rebel Radio. In other words, this was a cowboy bar. If it was a biker bar, there's no way that anybody else would be welcome inside, especially with The Lost MC roaming the areas of Blaine County.

"Hey, girl, you want somethin' to drink?" Franklin said.

"Sure, I guess." Liz didn't know what to think of this place. While it wasn't as glitzy as Bahama Mama's West, this seemed like a lively place out in the sticks. But she wasn't sure if this was really her scene.

She looked around and noticed a poster for any upcoming acts that were performing at the bar in the near future. It seemed that while some country singers were booked to perform, there were also some mariachi bands booked to perform, so maybe this wasn't fully a country bar, per se. After all, she was sure that some of her people lived out in those parts as well.

Even though she was only a quarter Scottish, she still identified herself as Mexican-American. She grew up with a lot of Mexican people, whether it's friends or family. Her own father was only half-Mexican, but he grew up in the environment. Even when her mother remarried, it was to another Mexican man and she loved her stepfather and stepbrother like they were her own blood.

Of course, she saw that race or ethnicity was of no relevance to her. She had dated a white man before and was currently dating a black man.

She and Franklin walked to a table in the bar and she sat in a chair. Franklin told her that he will be right back as he was about to go get some drinks for him and her.

Liz sat there and looked around while Franklin was buying the drinks. Her eyes went around the bar and went full stop the moment she saw someone. It wasn't just any "someone," though. This man was Caucasian and had brown hair and blue eyes. He looked like he was in his mid-30s, maybe even late-30s, and was dressed in a nice jacket and some nice pants. Funny how the man was dressed this way because this place didn't seem all that classy.

 _What is HE doing here?_ This man was someone she didn't want to see. It was Kyle, her other ex-boyfriend, and he was chatting up some woman in the bar. As she sat there, she put her hand right to her face and then turned away a tad, but not before she locked eyes with that man.

The woman who Kyle had been talking to was given a card, probably trying to gain a "new client" for his coaching, but likely for something else. The woman then walked away and headed towards the restroom.

 _Oh no, he saw me._ Liz covered her face and tried to turn away some more, but it was too late. That man walked towards her and said, "Liz, is that you?"

Liz lowered her right hand and slowly turned her head towards the man. "Hi, Kyle," she said in a very unenthusiastic tone.

"Wow, crazy running into you here," Kyle said. "How long has it been?"

Liz scoffed. "Not long enough."

"Well, I see that you're not happy to see me," Kyle said.

"Geez, you think? I mean who was that girl you were talking to?" Liz said. "Another potential client to teach how to play tennis? I know you just want to get into her pants."

Kyle sighed. "I know you're still upset about how things ended between us. I'm a man, I can't help it."

"That's your excuse? Even when we were dating, I figured you were out fucking other women," Liz said with a scowl on her face. "I fucking caught you with your pants down when I was going to try to surprise you at the courts by the campus. At least I tried to be a good girlfriend by wanting to see my man while he was working, but I found you in some rich man's wife or some shit."

"Oh come on, Liz, I'm not like that anymore," Kyle said. "Besides, I got nothing going on anymore, especially after some guy tried to kill me. But I am a lonely man out in these parts. Maybe I was trying to find another client or maybe I just want some companionship. I know I was unfaithful to you, but you know, I did care about you."

"Whatever, you pig," Liz said. She looked up and saw that Franklin was coming back with their beverages.

Kyle looked up and his eyes got big the moment he saw his ex's boyfriend. His mouth slowly opened and backed away as he started to tremble. Franklin made eye contact with Kyle.

"Hey, girl, who this?" Franklin said and then leaned in forward. "Wait, don't I know you?"

"I, I…don't think so," Kyle said.

"Yeah, I think I remember you," Franklin said. "I think you know my boy Michael and his wife Amanda."

Kyle took a deep breath but then started to shake and hyperventilate. "I, I d-don't know w-what y-you're t-talking about."

A smile grew on Franklin's face when the man said it. This man was in denial or didn't want to think about what happened that night when he and Michael went after him.

He got up from the chair. His body trembled at the sight of Franklin. What was the reason? Both Franklin and Liz wondered at that very moment.

"Help! Help!" Kyle yelled. Several people turned their attentions towards the frantic man. Did he think that this man was going to try to kill him? The truth of the matter was that Kyle barely even saw him after he jumped out of Michael's bedroom window, in his leopard-print underwear, no less.

"Somebody help me! Help, he…," Kyle yelled. "HE'S BLACK!"

The moment he said that, Franklin and Liz turned towards each other and to the cowardly tennis coach with looks on their faces that said, "Huh?"

Liz should be the one who was more surprised at this. Though Kyle had quite a history at sleeping with his clients, whom were wives of rich men, he dated Liz as well. She wasn't sure if Kyle was racist, at least towards a particular group, or was unfamiliar with African-American people. Liz was Mexican, so maybe Kyle was more familiar or not racist towards Latinas? Even some people at that establishment were Mexican, or any other Spanish-speaking nationality.

Plus, Liz lived in an area that wasn't exactly the best part of town, unless she was staying somewhere else like Little Seoul when they dated. Not to mention that Strawberry has black people in that area. Only Kyle and Liz knew how their relationship was.

Franklin, on the other hand, was not really offended by what was said, but rather shocked by his reaction. He initially thought it had to do with the whole incident about breaking down the house, but no, it was rather because he came face-to-face with a black man. Being that he was by Liz about his sexual escapades with rich wives, Franklin didn't doubt for a second that the Russian woman who was in the house was probably another client of his, and possibly another woman he slept with, despite being a mistress to a powerful Mexican cartel leader.

It wasn't long until that man left the club. The couple was confused by all of this. At some point, the DJ had switched it to music that was played on East Los FM. Liz had guided Franklin to the dance floor and they started to get their groove on.

The night wasn't done for them, as they stayed and played pool for a bit, as well as darts. The night was young and it may not be over for them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am going to stop it right there and continue with the plot soon. There will be some more for them to do out in the sticks soon, as well as what Alonzo has planned to cause trouble for the couple.
> 
> Regarding the bit with Franklin and Liz in the car and the music choice, Lala Romero is a real singer and I must add that I was listening to some of her music while writing it. I also thought that the song "Sprung on a Thug" was fitting about their relationship. She was just known as La La during that time, however.
> 
> I also had been meaning to bring Liz's other ex, Kyle, into the mix. Like I mentioned before, they had dated, as seen in the tennis coach's LifeInvader profile in the game, with Liz breaking up with him in a post. Will he appear again? He might, you never know.
> 
> The part with him reacting to Franklin being black is a reference to the mission "Complications" when Franklin breaks into the De Santa home and if he goes towards Amanda and the tennis coach, Kyle yells "Help, he's black!" I thought that part was funny.
> 
> "Sprung on a Thug" performed by Lala Romero feat. The Game. Copyright 2008 RBC Records.


	14. Situation Escalation

It was morning. Franklin and Liz lied in the bed in the motel room after a long day from spending time in the sticks. It wasn't just from the trip to go out to Paleto Bay, when really they could have taken their things and checked into a motel or hotel out there.

But it wasn't an issue for them. It was now the next day, especially when Franklin took himself and his girlfriend out of LS to flee from any potential threats in the city.

It was almost 9 in the morning. The couple had quite a day. Their night was pretty long as they took off to The Hen House out in Paleto Bay and then drove back to the motel that they were staying in. Franklin had woken up with Liz's arms around him. He looked around and noticed that Chop was awake and then saw that Liz was still asleep.

He sat up and put on his pants and put on a jacket. He needed to get out for a little bit. He turned around and whispered, "Hey, baby, I'm finna take Chop out for a walk. I'll be back in a bit."

Liz opened her eyes a bit. "Okay, but come back. I'll be waiting for you." And then she went back to sleep.

Franklin grabbed the leash for Chop and hooked it to his collar. Most importantly, he picked up his Badger smartphone. Though he was going to take the dog out for a walk, he needed to make a call to someone.

He and Chop left the motel room. He walked the dog a good distance to get a little further from the motel and to also find some good reception for his phone. There was one person he wanted to call at that moment, even though he sometimes had little trust in that person. The call went through.

"Hey, nigga, what's happenin'?" the voice said.

"Hey, Lamar, did you get my whip out from Murrieta Heights?" Franklin said.

LD replied. "Done deal, homie, but I thought you should know. I took your ride to your aunt's house and put it in the garage. When I was walking around, I saw some of those Vago fools rolling by in a Gauntlet or some Tornados to scope out the area. I think they up to something."

"Shit, ya think?" Franklin said. "Those assholes are pissed at us for stealing back Liz's whip from her asshole ex-boyfriend. I'm starting to wonder if they pissed at us for that shit with the Bagger." Then something hit him. "Oh shit, have you gone to check out any shit at my place?"

"I ain't been out there yet, but I think you should ask your boy Michael to look at your place," Lamar said. "I ain't finna go all the way out to Vinewood to go scope out your living-large-ass crib."

"The fuck you just say?" Franklin said. "I just want to know if any of those assholes be tryin' to smoke my ass at my own place."

"Relax, homie, I ain't gon' do you wrong like that," Lamar said. "I thought maybe me and the crazy dude will go out there to scope it out. If those guys be tryin' to smoke you at yo crib, we finna blast on those motherfuckers."

Franklin replied. "Look, I'll call Mike to check on my crib in a bit. But if any of those guys be goin' out to Vinewood to start some shit, I'ma be back in town sooner than you think."

Then something else occurred to him. "Now that I think about it, you said that they might be pissed about the shit with the bike, but our shit is mostly with the Rancho Vagos. Ain't the Vagos that we smoked that one time out in Vespucci Beach?"

"That shit don't matter," Lamar said. "Birds of a feather flock together, don't they? They may not be part of the same set, but they be connected."

Franklin started to wonder another thing. Liz mainly worked at the campus part-time while she took courses. That Gauntlet she had was a bit expensive. Franklin felt that the Buffalo he had was a bit out of his price range, but it was a gift from his shady ex-boss, Simeon Yetarian. How was Liz able to afford that Gauntlet? It was something he needed to know. Not that he believed that the car belonged to Alonzo to begin with, but rather that the car was a bit out of her price range for her to afford. For all he wondered, that car may have belonged to someone else before.

"Look, I want you to be on the lookout," Franklin said. "If shit gets hot, I want you to get my aunt out of there. Come out here, take her to San Fierro, don't matter. Just get her the fuck out of there. I know that my aunt is crazy, but she the only family I got and the last thing I want to see is some Vago fools smokin' anybody we know to send me a message."

"No problem, dog," Lamar said. "I'll keep you posted. Your whip is out here, and me and Trevor will go check out your spot soon."

"Okay, hit me up later," Franklin said.

Franklin then hung up and then searched not much farther down from his contacts list. It was now under M. He made the call to the other person he needed to talk to.

The call went through. "Hey, Mike. What's going on?"

"Nothing much, Franklin," Michael said. "Are you safe? Where are you?"

"My girl and I are out in the Grand Senora Desert right now," Franklin said. "We tryin' to lay low."

"Well, that's a start," Michael said. "The rest of the family is worried."

"Yeah, well, shit was gettin' heavy as my girl and I left the hospital and some of those fools were finna smoke us when we got out. I asked my boy Lamar to go get my ride out in Murrieta Heights. I want to know if you can check on my crib to see if anybody trying to scope out so that they can kill me."

"I'll see what I can do," Michael said. "Just hang in there, bud."

"We hangin' in there, a'ight," Franklin said. "My girl and I just be stayin' out here for a few days. I don't know how long it will be, but we should be back soon. I got to face my shit sooner or later."

"Like I said, just hang in there," Michael said. "I will go check out your house soon."

"A'ight, talk to ya later, homie," Franklin said and then hung up.

He and Chop then started to walk back to the motel. The curiosity was killing him about the car. Could the car have belonged to someone else? This whole tension with him and Alonzo seemed to be more than just about the fact that he was dating Liz and then it became about the car. While Franklin suspected that Alonzo was doing this to get more respect in the set, there had to be more than meets the eye.

It wasn't long until he reached the motel room and then got in. At that point, Liz was awake and was watching TV.

"Hey, baby, you're back," Liz said.

"Yeah, I'm back, but I wanna ask you a few questions," Franklin said. "I want to know some shit."

"What's that?"

"Your car. How are you able to afford it? How did you get it? I think your asshole ex is after me 'cuz of it, but it's a little more expensive than what you can afford."

Just then, any enthusiasm that Liz had on her face had dwindled. She started to see that Franklin suspected something was up. There had to be different reasons for the Vagos to be targeting them. Alonzo wouldn't be just targeting Franklin for something as petty as him having sex with his ex-girlfriend. While some would call on a hit for something as trivial as that, some of his friends even thought he was whipped.

"Okay, you want to know, don't you?" Liz said. "I have to say this. When I was in my off-period with Alonzo, well, when I was still with Kyle or even before, I can't remember. I took part in a street race."

"Wait, a street race? Do you know Hao? A Chinese guy?" Franklin said.

"Yeah, I know who he is. Well, here is what happened. I got into the racing circuit at some point. I needed a little extra cash to pay off my student loans. One night, a fellow Vago, I think he was one of the G's who was a high-ranking member. Wait, actually, he was a high-ranking member, second-in-command to Big Queso."

The moment he heard that name, Franklin's eyes slowly bulged.

"The guy was called Snake Eyes. They called him that because he was a scary man and the moment you locked eyes with him when you got shit with him, he will fuck the person up. Well, there was one flaw he had. He was bad with money. He had no money to put down for a race one night. So what he did was put a pink slip on his Gauntlet. It was a night when I was about to race. His car was fast, but there was one problem. He was a little overconfident at times that he ended up losing some races. That night we raced, I had beaten him by maybe an inch or two. I ended up winning his car. He was laughed at, probably because they thought it was emasculating for him to lose to a girl. Not long after that, he got into some trouble and got put in jail. He's in Boilerbroke right now."

So there was more than met the eye after all. It also made sense why it said "SNAKEYES" on the license plate.

She continued talking. "When I got back together with Alonzo, he insisted that he drive the car more than me, even though the car was technically mine. He was always talking about how he wanted to get in with the Vagos. Just know this. I was only connected because of him. I didn't like being around those guys. After we broke up, he insisted that he keep the car."

"So what you sayin' is that the guy who lost the car fair and square still mad about you havin' it?" Franklin said.

"I don't know if he had anything to do with it," Liz said. "But it seems like it now. The car was fully paid off to begin with, so I didn't have to worry. I also used it on some nights to race if I had to earn some extra cash, but that's mainly for gas and shit."

Right after that, Liz sat there in silence. She wondered if her life was in danger because of the situation involving the car. Even gangsters kill others for something rather petty. This was a petty situation. Alonzo was probably also after them because he couldn't stand her being with another man, a black one at that, as he had an issue with that.

Without hesitation, Franklin gave his girl a big hug. She hugged him back.

"Everything's gonna be okay," Franklin said.

"I hope so," she said and then leaned in some more.

Franklin and Liz backed up.

"Come on, girl, let's clean ourselves up," Franklin said. "I wanna go get some breakfast. You down?"

"Oh, fo sho," she said. It seemed that she picked up on some of Franklin's lingo while being with him.

After a while, they got out of their motel room. They had Chop with him in case they wanted to take walking around nature while they were out and about. Being that Franklin knew this area better, he took the wheel once again and started up the car.

They put Chop in the backseat and Franklin started it up. He decided to put on something different on the radio, as he set it to Los Santos Rock Radio, as "Is This Love?" from Whitesnake started playing.

As Franklin started backing out, Liz reached her left hand towards Franklin's left hand. Once he put it in drive, she locked her hand with his and looked over at him and smiled. They were off.

* * *

**MEANWHILE, BACK IN LOS SANTOS…**

A dark yellow Blade convertible had pulled up in front of The Tahitian in Strawberry. Three guys were in the car, along with two girls.

"Is this the place, carnal?" one of the guys said.

"This is definitely the place," the driver said, who turned out to be Alonzo.

The other guys were Jose and Cesar, while the girls were called Whisper and Loca. Though the guys knew their real names, they chose to be addressed by their nicknames.

Alonzo parked the car right in front of the apartment complex. "I'm going to give that whore a piece of my mind and then I will take out that pinche mayate motherfucker."

"Chale, homes," Cesar said. "I know you want to be one with la cliqua, but you need to chill."

Alonzo turned towards him. "What are you saying, pendejo?!" He looked at his friend with an ice cold stare.

Cesar backed up a tad as his eyes widened just a tad. "Nothing, ese."

From that moment, each of the gang members got out some beanies and Locs sunglasses and yellow bandanas and wrapped them around their faces. Alonzo got out a pistol and put a magazine in it and cocked it. At that moment, they all got out of the Blade and went about their business. They all walked in a stalking motion to look for Liz's apartment, which was on the first floor. Only Alonzo knew which apartment she lived in.

He no longer had a key to get in, as it was still on that same keychain that Franklin took that night. So there was only one other option: he knocked on the door to see if someone would open.

It wasn't long until some girl opened the door and was met with a pistol to her face.

"Get in there, pendeja!" Alonzo said and then grabbed the girl and then shoved her right in. A couple of Alonzo's cohorts stood outside to stand watch, while one girl and one guy followed him inside.

He kicked the girl while she was down. "Where is that fucking slut?!" He kicked her again, right in the gut, resulting in a cough.

Oddly enough, the girl looked at Alonzo like he was a bit nuts.

"Who…a-are y-you talking about?" The girl then coughed.

"Where the fuck is Liz?" Alonzo yelled.

Out of nowhere, another girl came out. "Marisa, what's going on here…?" And then the moment she saw the gang members standing before her, she gasped. "What the hell? What's going on here?"

"Where…is…Liz?!"

"I don't know. Who are you?" the other girl said.

Marisa, right on the floor, looked up. She recognized that voice, but she suspected that if she said something, she was as good as dead.

"Not important, puta. I'm just looking for that whore and her mayate novio of hers."

Marisa tried to get up, but Jose and Loca attacked her by punching her and stomping on her, resulting in her getting bruised and bloody.

"I don't know where she is. She just took off yesterday. She didn't say where she was going."

Alonzo walked up to the girl and placed the barrel of the gun right to her neck as the girl started shaking, sweating, and panting. It wasn't long until a tear started running down her eye.

"Don't fucking lie to me," he said.

"I swear, I don't know where she went," the girl said. "Marisa and I were gone when she left. In fact, the last time we saw her was the night before. She might have come home while we were gone, but as far as we know, she never came home."

"Okay, you two are lucky this time," Alonzo said. He then put his gun in the back of his pants. The girl looked up and was then met with a right hand to his face. "But this shit ain't over. We should be back soon. She better be here."

The Vagos then turned around. Meanwhile, Alonzo kicked the poor girl while she was down.

It wasn't looked until the Vagos were gone. Marisa slowly crawled towards the other girl.

"Hey, Raquel," Marisa said. "I know who that guy was."

Raquel responded, "Who was he?"

"That was Liz's ex. He's gone crazy."

"Oh no, this looks bad. We got to let her know what's going on. I'll call her."

Raquel went to her phone and tried to call Liz's number, but it went to voicemail. If she knew where she was, she would know that it's hard to get reception in those parts. The only thing she and Marisa can do is try to get out of there before Alonzo returns and they might not be so lucky this time.

But they have to reach her sooner or later. They just have to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm leaving this on a cliffhanger. It will continue soon. Sure, it may be obvious that Franklin and Liz will have to return to LS soon. But Alonzo's rampage continues and who knows what he will do.
> 
> I will try to do more with this. I am focused on another story right now. It had only been a month since I last did this, so I should be fine.
> 
> "Is This Love?" performed by Whitesnake. Copyright 1987 Geffen/CBS/Sony/EMI.


	15. Taking Action

Franklin drove Liz to a roadside diner somewhere in Sandy Shores. They were both hungry and were ready to get their grub on. Franklin parked the Gauntlet and the two got out and went inside. They were quickly guided to a booth.

Once they sat down, a waitress who looked like she was in her mid-30s walked up to them.

"Hello, I'm Emma. I'll be your server. Would you like to start off with something to drink?"

Liz responded with, "I'll have a water and cup of coffee."

"I'll have some OJ," Franklin said. "A tall glass of OJ."

"Coming right up, I'll be back for your orders," Emma said.

The waitress took off while the couple looked at the menus to see what they wanted to order for breakfast. It didn't take long for Franklin to see what he wanted.

"Wow, I gotta get me this steak and eggs. I need to bulk up a bit."

Liz looked at her menu. "You know, I think I want to try out this fajita omelet."

Franklin looked at her. "I really don't know how you can eat like that and not gain weight. I took you to Burger Shot, Cluckin' Bell, and Up-N-Atom. You even told me that you sometimes have some stuff from Horny's or Taco Bomb. How do you do it?"

"I don't know. I do exercise quite often, but even I know that stuff is not good for you. I guess I am so lucky that I have such a high metabolism. I don't eat like that all the time, you know."

I hear ya, girl. But shit, my boy Jimmy be scroungin' on Burger Shot or Pizza This and that fool is chubby. I wonder if some of that be because he get the munchies all the damn time and he'd be ordering out."

"Jimmy, Tracey's brother?" Liz said.

"Yeah, that fool."

"You know, I never got a chance to tell you this, but I think he has a crush on me."

"Oh really?" Franklin said. "I took him to the Vanilla Unicorn a few times, as well as Hornbills. I swear, that fool knows nothin' about girls. He thought any girl who give him a lap-dance or some shit like that is into him. I remember one time he got a lot of lap-dances and he owed the girl too much money. He was confused, so I had to cover the bill for that girl. He even said that he thought she liked him."

"Yeah, well, you should have seen him at the hospital," Liz said. "He was looking at me with goo-goo eyes and started drooling over me. I'd hate to see how he is around other girls. Does he not know that I'm with you? I mean I saw the way he looked me when you took me to your friend Michael's house."

"I wouldn't trip much over him, though. He ain't no threat, at least not to my knowledge."

It wasn't long until the waitress came back with a notepad in hand, as well as the beverages.

"Okay, what will you be having?" she said.

Franklin said that he wanted the steak and eggs with hash browns and white toast, while Liz said that she wanted the fajita omelet with sourdough toast. It didn't take long and the server went to take their orders to the kitchen.

"Speaking of strip clubs." Liz wanted to continue the conversation. "I was wondering if you would take me to one someday."

Right when Franklin was about to take a sip of his orange juice, his eyes shifted right at his girlfriend with a look of mild confusion. "Say what now?"

"I just want to go one day. I have gone to a male strip club before, but never one with ladies dancing. I mean you have frequented the Vanilla Unicorn many times, right?"

"Yeah, I have, but I ain't gone lately. Well, I was almost gonna go, but then some shit came up."

Franklin did not want to share what happened after that, which was when he got kidnapped and then tortured.

"Well, I was wondering if any of those girls that you fucked around with are still there," Liz said. "I kind of want to do a little experimenting."

"Hold up, what?" Franklin said.

"You know, they say that it's never cheating if there is a threesome or even a foursome, or even if people willingly swing, but I am not sure about doing THAT. But I know that before we started dating, you were fucking around with some of those girls. I kind of want to see what's up with that. But if you don't want to, that's fine. I know I can make you feel better."

"Shit I don't know, but let's talk about this later. I just want to eat some food."

It was weird that this kind of talk had come up at a time like this. Not that Franklin wasn't open to doing this. He wasn't surprised at this considering how lustful Liz was when he picked her up when it was just a "friends with benefits" relationship. However, all he wanted to do was just have a meal and it was rather inappropriate to have a discussion about this in a place like a diner.

"Anyway, what do you think of this area so far?" Franklin said.

"I actually kind of like it," Liz said. "It's so open and pretty, well, when looking at the desert. I also kind of like that one area with the painted hills and stuff."

"So many crazy things that you see around here, just like all the crazy shit out in Los Santos."

"I just can't believe I've never been out here. At least out in this area, anyway. I often take the Western Highway, but usually to get to certain parts north of here. So many things to see around here."

"Wait till you see the meth-heads."

It didn't take long for their meals to finally arrive. Right when their breakfast was served, they started digging in. They enjoyed their meals and after they were done, Franklin covered the check and tip.

The moment they had gotten out of the diner, Liz's phone rang. The screen said Raquel on it. A look of mild concern grew on Liz's face.

"Who that, baby?" Franklin said.

"One of my roommates," Liz said.

"So pick it up."

Liz noticed that she had a few texts from Raquel as well as a few from Marisa. Something must be wrong here.

Liz immediately answered after the fifth ring. "Hey, Raquel. What's up?"

"All kinds of shit," Raquel said. "Some Vagos came to our apartment earlier. They were looking for you. They even attacked Marisa."

Liz's eyelids began to rise as her eyes bulged from what she had just been told. "Wait, what happened?!"

"I think it was Alonzo who came to our door. He was with some Vagos. They threatened us. They said they might be back later to check again."

"Girl, you and Marisa better get out of there. I am out here in Sandy Shores with my boyfriend. Maybe you and Marisa can rent a motel room out here or something, or find a hotel to stay at. Just stay out of Strawberry or Rancho for a little bit."

"We will. Talk to you soon."

The call ended but then something else hit her. Franklin looked at her face and Liz started to hyperventilate a tad.

"Girl, what's wrong? Breathe, baby, breathe, I can tell something is not right."

Franklin guided his woman into the passenger seat of the Gauntlet. He quickly went right for the driver seat.

"I know that look on your face. What's wrong, girl?"

"Alonzo and some friends of his came to my apartment and threatened my roommates. I think he's gonna try to go after some of my friends."

Liz went through her contacts and looked for the one friend she needed to reach out to. As for any others, who knew if the Vagos would even go after Cecilia and her husband or any others for that matter?

The phone rang and then the call went through. "Hello, Liz?"

"Lupe, thank god you're okay."

"Yeah, I am, what's going on?"

"A lot of things. Alonzo and some other punks came to my apartment and threatened my roommates. I'm out here in the desert with my boyfriend. Try to find some place to crash for a bit. I don't know if they will even go out to Little Seoul or Downtown, but maybe you can crash with Cecilia or come out to somewhere like Vespucci Beach or La Puerta. Just get somewhere safe."

"Tell me what's going on," Lupe said.

"My boyfriend and I are out here in the Grand Senora Desert. We're trying to stay safe because Alonzo went after Franklin and now I think he's coming after me."

"Damn, girl, I didn't think he was that obsessed with you," Lupe said. "Sounds like he is taking 'whipped' to a whole 'nother level."

"I think it's more than that," Liz said. "He wants to prove his worth in the Vagos, so he's doing whatever it takes."

"Shit," Lupe said. "I'll go find somewhere to crash. Sounds like this guy has gone crazy. I mean I thought he was an asshole, but this, I can't even think of what he wants to do."

"Please, just get out of Little Seoul or something. I don't know if he'll get out there, but you never know."

"I will. Talk to you later."

The call then ended. Liz took a deep breath and then sat there in silence while Franklin sat there looking right at her.

"Liz, can you tell me what's going on?"

She turned her attention right at him. He saw that her eyes were a little watery and then looked down a bit.

"Okay, I think I know what's going on. Something with your asshole ex, huh?"

Liz took another deep breath. "I don't get it. I thought I was done." Her voice cracked a bit when she said that. "I thought it was all over with him, but I just can't escape him."

It was then she broke down a bit. She leaned in and placed her face against Franklin's shoulder. Franklin wrapped his arm around her back.

"It's okay, I'm here for you, baby." He patted her back a bit. She rose her head and tears ran down her face some more. It wasn't hard to see what she was feeling at that moment.

Franklin held her in his arms as she continued to cry at all of this.

"Listen, baby, I'm gonna have to deal with this motherfucker soon."

"No, you can't do this."

"We can't just be out here forever. Who knows? He and those other Vagos finna be shooting up not just my old homies, but also your friends and family. I know how this shit works. He's gonna fuck up our lives before he finna take care of us."

Liz wiped her eyes and took a third deep breath.

"Look, I know you wanna get away from Alonzo, but this ain't the way. If you keep yourself out here, he and some of boys will go out and shoot up our hood and kill your family, friends, everybody we know. I know how the gang life works, girl. I used to roll with CGF on Forum Drive. But all this shit, it sound like someone put the green light out on us. We gonna have to go back to LS soon and sort all this shit out."

"But I don't want to lose you, Franklin. I can't believe I'm telling you this now, but I am really falling for you." Liz started to cry again. "I love you, I really do. I never thought I would feel this way, but I love you so much. I can't lose you to no macho bullshit like this. If you kill Alonzo, then some of his friends are going to come after you or me. It will never stop."

Franklin hugged her once again. "It's okay, baby. We'll be a'ight, okay? I'ma handle that fool myself if it kills me."

"Please don't say that," Liz said. "Promise me that you'll never say that again and promise that you will come back to me when it's over."

"I promise you," Franklin said. "When we get back, we grab our stuff. If shit is how I left it out in LS, you can stay at my crib for a bit."

Liz nodded her head. The two then kissed each other after that. Franklin started the car up and headed back to the motel.

* * *

**BACK IN LOS SANTOS.**

Lamar was Denise's house trying to convince her to leave the hood for a little bit.

"Boy, I ain't about to leave this place because some Mexican thugs want to kill my loser nephew," Denise said.

"Some of those fools wanna smoke Franklin and they be finna do that soon. They finna clap us both if we don't get the fuck outta here ASA fucking P."

Denise sighed. "Okay, but if that boy is the cause of all this shit, I'ma have me a few words with him, especially if he hooked up with that dumb heifer."

Lamar got up and walked to the door to wait for Denise to pack her things. "Hey, peep this, I'm finna hit the block to see if any shit's goin' down. I'll be back."

Lamar went outside and looked around and noticed a maroon-colored classic Gauntlet parked at the end of Forum near an intersection. The moment he looked over at the car, the car then started to drive towards him. He took a closer look and noticed that the driver, who was wearing a black tank-top and had tattoos on him drew an Uzi.

"Oh shit!" Lamar yelled. He quickly started running down the street as the bullets flew right towards him. He ran as fast as he could until he saw a gate on the front of a neighboring house. He turned around and drew his pistol and fired four shots towards the man shooting at him. He then jumped the gate and ran right through the yard and kept running until he hit the alleyway behind the set of houses. He stood by a wall to take a breather.

Oh shit, Denise! He looked around and wondered if the shooter was still around. No matter. He ran down the alley and then jumped the fence into the backyard of Denise's house.

He quickly ran to the front yard and noticed a few bullet holes on the wall in the front of the house. He opened the door and yelled Denise's name.

"What? What the hell's going on out there?"

From out in front of him, Denise was walking out with a bag full of clothes.

"We gotta get you the fuck outta here! Come on."

Denise followed Lamar outside and down to his house. He told her to get inside his white van. He drove off without a word until he got out his phone. There was only one person he needed to talk to.

"Hey, Franklin, some of those Vagos tried to cap me and your aunt just now!"

"What the fuck?!" Franklin said. "Fuck all this shit, me and my girl are 'bout to head back to LS soon. We goin' settle this shit soon. Try to round up some of our boys."

"Okay, you wanna get Gerald in on this as well?"

"I don't know about that fool," Franklin said. "That fool don't give a shit. He ain't finna put it down for the set much."

"Well, I could ask, but I ain't expectin' much from his ass, but I'll look for some of our boys to put it down for the hood. This shit's gotta end soon, you know."

"I heard that. Liz will stay at my crib, if it's in one piece, anyway," Franklin said. "We'll be there in about an hour or so."

* * *

**ELSEWHERE IN LOS SANTOS**

In the warehouse that was used for torturing Franklin, some of the Vagos met up with Alonzo, Big Queso, and others. Some of the others like Cesar and Jose came, as well as Luis, who was the one who went to shoot up Forum.

Big Queso then started talking. "Okay, I see that some of you have not taken care of our little problem."

"We couldn't find those two putos," Alonzo said. "But I have a feeling that we'll find them and then take care of anyone else they care about."

"Um," Cesar said. "Don't you think you're going a little too far in this?"

Alonzo turned his attention to Cesar, while Big Queso looked over at him as well.

"What the fuck you talkin' about, homes?" Alonzo said. "You going soft on me?"

"What? No," Cesar said. "I mean all that shit you be doing, I don't know if you're that whipped or you're just obsessed."

Alonzo got closer. "What the fuck do you mean, pendejo? You sound like a little bitch right now. I mean you wouldn't get pissed off if some cabron tried to sleep with your girl or even stole your car."

"Fuck you, Alonzo!" Cesar said. "You know that car was never yours. I know I'm your boy and all, but you don't need that bitch. You don't even need that fucking car. It was never yours."

"I'm just bringing it where it belongs. Besides, it used to belong to Snake Eyes."

"He put up a fucking pink slip for it!" Cesar said. "Besides, that fool's in jail. Why should he give a shit?"

Big Queso intervened. "Chale, if you two need to settle this on your own, go outside or something. I can't watch you two bicker like a couple of little putas."

Alonzo and Cesar went outside.

"What the fuck is going on with you, cabron?" Alonzo said. "Are you siding with the enemy now?"

"No, that ain't it," Cesar said. "I mean you are fucking whipped, ese. I mean come on, even when you were with Liz, you were fucking around with other bitches. Shit, you even fucked Lorena. That bitch was all over you. I even noticed how Loca looks at you. You don't need Liz no more, man. I'm saying this as your boy."

Alonzo grew a scowl on his face. "It's the principle, pinche cabron. Besides, I am doing this for the barrio."

Cesar said, "That's all it is, isn't it? It's all about putting it down for the set, huh? Shit, even some other people don't get as crazy as you. I'm your carnal, homes, but as your carnal, you need to get your fucking head straight."

Alonzo turned around and took a deep breath and then drew his 9mm pistol and pointed it right at Cesar, whose eyes bulged, mouth opened a tad, and then backed up a bit.

"The fuck you doin', homes?" Cesar said as he saw the end of a barrel pointed right at him.

"You said we're still carnales, verdad?" Alonzo said. "Sabes que, guey, there are only so many ways you can prove it."

He then pulled the trigger as the barrel faced a little lower and a slug hit Cesar's right forearm. Cesar let out a huge scream in pain from the gunshot as blood started to leak from his forearm.

"I'm not gonna kill my own carnal. We homies, ese, but if you want to show how much you still my carnal, you got to take care of the problem. We gonna search the area later and you are gonna kill Liz and her pinche mayate boyfriend."

Cesar kept breathing. So much sweat ran down his face and shook from the pain of the gunshot. He nodded his head as he breathed some more.

Not long after, Big Queso, along with Luis, Jose, the girls and a few others came out.

"Ain't nothing to worry about, carnales, Cesar just had a little accident," Alonzo said. "I think we gonna solve our little problem later." He then turned towards Cesar. "Ain't that right, ese?"

Cesar looked at him with a glare and nodded his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's getting more intense, huh? Regarding Cesar, he will be featured more in the next one. I have an idea for it. You'll see what it is.
> 
> I also made a passing reference to Gerald, who is a character in GTA Online. Now I haven't played much of Online, but I am familiar with some stuff in it.
> 
> Regarding the drive-by bit with Lamar, that was also from that video of "Franklin and Lamar: The Story about Liz." Of course, I am changing things up.
> 
> It seems like we're heading towards the climax, but I'm not going to rush it. Stay tuned.


	16. Turning the Tables

Earlier that day, Franklin, Liz, and Chop had gotten back into LS and went straight to Franklin's house in the hills. The moment they got to his house, Franklin had parked Liz's car in the garage. The house looked clean and the way it was the way he left it.

It had only been a day since they took off to Sandy Shores to lie low from any trouble. But since Liz had heard from her roommates that the Vagos came and assaulted them, it forced them to come back and try to face the problem themselves. If they were to stay any longer out there, who knows what they will do?

Franklin had told Liz that in order for her to be safe that she should stay at his house for at least a day or so, then it hit her. She knew she felt something for Franklin after dating him for nearly a couple of months, she wondered if it was time that she moved in with him. But it was not the time to discuss this, as much more was at stake at the moment.

During the course of the day, Franklin had told Liz to stay at the house so that he can go and check on a few things. He had gone down to Forum Drive in Strawberry. Because he was informed that his Buffalo was parked inside the garage at his aunt's house, he decided to take a cab down to the hood. He didn't want to take the Bagger, either, so he kept in the garage along with Liz's Gauntlet.

Franklin waited for the cab to pull up. Liz walked out of the door.

"Baby, wait." Franklin turned to see her come up to him. "Take me with you."

"I can't do that. You are marked right now. Those Vago fools are finna gun you down or kidnap you if they see you."

"What make you think that they might not come out here?"

She had a point. Though the Vagos rarely go up to Vinewood, it was possible that they probably know where Franklin lives. She didn't want to have anything like that happen. If he left her there, someone could just come up and kill her right then or even kidnap her if they want to lure Franklin into a trap.

"Listen, I'll call up my boy Mike to have him keep an eye on you, does that work for you?" Franklin said.

Liz nodded her head. "Be careful out there, baby. I love you so much."

Franklin took a deep breath. "I love you, too, girl." He leaned in and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll be back."

The cab pulled up. Liz stood there and watched as Franklin went into the cab. The concern was so high for her that she never would have expected Alonzo to get like this. It hadn't been that long since everything had started. In fact, it hadn't been a full two days, but she couldn't wait for it to end.

On the way over, he got out his Badger phone and made a call.

"Hey, Mike, this Franklin. You busy?"

"I'm not busy right now, buddy. What's going on?"

"Yo, I need for you to check on my girl at my crib. We back in town. Shit is getting is real fierce right now. I ain't sure if the Vagos finna get up in these guys and try to cap me and my girl. Can you check on her?"

"Sure thing, Franklin," Michael said. "I'll be up there in a bit. Besides, I'm off today anyway."

"Okay, fo sho, holla at me, dog."

He got off the phone and rode the rest of the way down to Strawberry.

It had taken nearly a half hour to get there, but he did. On the way, he asked Lamar to meet with him at the BJ Smith Recreation Center, along with a few CGF members. If things were getting heavy with the Vagos at that point, then they need all the help they can get.

Franklin pulled up in front of the recreation center, while Lamar stood there with some other guys and a few girls dressed in green.

Lamar walked up and said, "Well well, if it ain't the nigga who need our help all of a sudden. Where was you when shit got heavy with us?"

"Fuck you, dog," Franklin said. "None of that shit wouldn't be happenin' if you ain't brought it on ya self. This shit with me and my girl, it's all the doing of that asshole."

"Whatever, homie, I was just sayin', ya know?"

"Well, if you just sayin', then I'm sayin' that we need to settle our shit with the Vagos."

"That's what I'm talkin' 'bout. Putting it down for the set again, huh?"

"It ain't like that," Franklin said. "We need to send a message. Because Liz be tellin' me that she wanna run away from that fool, but I know that if we stayed out there, shit would escalate a lot further."

"Yeah, well, you ain't the one who almost got capped earlier," Lamar said. "One of those Vago fools tryna come around Forum and pop me and yo' auntie while you and your Mexican girlfriend were out in the desert."

"Yeah, well that caused us to come back, didn't it?"

"Well, me and the crew finna go into Rancho and Vespucci to take all of them out. Down for a 187?"

"Hold up, you ain't serious."

"Fuck yeah, I'm serious, we gonna get the whole set involved and blast all of them until they all gone."

Franklin sighed in mild disgust and in mild concern. He figured that Lamar was still trying to live out as his fantasy of being a gangbanger from the 1990s. He suspected his old friend believes that it's all fun and games, as well the lifestyle he wanted. In reality, many people died in the gang life. If Lamar were to try to go in there with guns blazing, there is a good chance that he would be gunned down at any given point.

"You don't get it do you," Franklin said. "I think that someone put the green light out on anybody me and Liz know. You said that one of those guys came into our hood shootin'. My girl told me that they came to her place and threatened her roommates. They be finna take out anybody we know before they get to us. Even if we take some fools out, they gonna get blast back at us. There's gotta be another way for us to get to them."

In a matter of seconds, Franklin said, "Wait I got something."

"What's that?" Lamar said.

"Hear me out. I got something that will work."

* * *

**HOURS LATER.**

It was now evening. Franklin had conjured up a plan to lure one of the Vagos to Liz's apartment. Alonzo knew what kind of car he drove, so Franklin decided to drive around and act like he was going to pick up Liz for a date. He pulled up in front of The Tahitian and got out of the car.

Out from the darkness, a man in a short-sleeved button-down came walking down the street. A couple of Mexican girls were with him. One was wearing a wife-beater crop-top and a bandana. The other was wearing a wife-beater, but covered up her torso and also some suspenders.

The man turned out to be Cesar. He had a metal brace and a cast on his right forearm after suffering that gunshot from Alonzo earlier.

"Hey," he turned towards the two cholas. "This will only take a minute. I'm going to solve all this pedo once and for all. If I see any of those putas from this morning, I'll take of them, too."

As reluctant as Cesar was to do this, he did this as a favor to his friend. However, another perspective could be that he just wanted this stuff to end. Though he joined in on the torture of Franklin recently, the part about threatening Liz's friends and family really pushed things too far.

Loca said, "We'll wait for you in the car."

"Don't be too long," Whisper said.

"Relax, I'll be out in a minute." It was hard to believe that he was doing this when in the morning of that same day; he had gotten shot in the arm. He even went to the hospital to get it treated. But regardless of it, he went to do the job. But if they were to die, did that mean that it was over? Or did Alonzo and Big Queso plan to take out the friends and family of Franklin and Liz? Nobody knows.

Unbeknownst to him, a couple of black men dressed in green noticed Cesar walking towards the apartment complex. One of the men, who was dressed in an LS Feuds hat and a green hoodie and blue jeans, while the other one wore a green t-shirt and beige khaki shorts.

The one with the hat got out his smartphone and said, "He on his way in. Get ready."

Cesar walked towards the same apartment that he, along with the other Vagos had invaded that morning. He had a pistol in his hand, which had a suppressor attached to it. No one will know about this, or so he thought.

He reached for the doorknob and noticed that it was unlocked as he quickly turned it and opened the door. He went right in and drew his weapon and slowly stalked his way in the house. It was quiet in there. If these people were getting ready to go out or doing the dirty, there would be more noise in the house. Much to his shock, the roommates were nowhere to be found.

"Orale, vato, drop your fucking strap now, puto," A voice was heard from behind in the right. The way he said those terms didn't sound genuine, as the voice didn't sound like it came from a Spanish-speaking individual. Cesar looked up and slowly turned and noticed Lamar pointing a pistol right to his head. "Look behind you."

Cesar turned around and saw Franklin right before his very eyes. He only got a quick look of Franklin's face as a fist quickly sprung right to his face in a second.

A few minutes later, Franklin and Lamar were in Liz's bathroom and had handcuffed Cesar right to the shower curtain rod. His arms were wrapped around the rod as right armed straddled it from the top.

Lamar looked right at him in the bathroom. "I oughta kick yo' motherfuckin' ass. One of you Vago cats tryna blast all over my fuckin' hood. I'ma tear ya ass up. You tryna take us all out. Who the fuck you, motherfucker?"

Cesar just stared at him with an ice cold glint in his eyes.

"But me and my boys, we finna smoke you motherfuckers," Lamar said. "What do you think of that, homie?"

"You know, I'm really scared of you," Cesar said sarcastically.

"Ya best be scared of me, because I got that Apache blood and we finna take all of you Vago putas out."

"I'm shivering," Cesar added with more sarcasm.

"Is that a fact? We gonna fuck you up. Keep talking, asshole." Lamar said.

"I'm shitting in my pants." The sarcasm just did not stop there with Cesar.

"Keep talking, motherfucker! Say somethin' now!" Lamar knew that Cesar was being sarcastic.

"I'm pissing in my boots."

"I wouldn't even did your motherfuckin' arm like that. I would have took your motherfuckin' ass and buried you in the ground and put a water hose in your mouth and duct tape it all around and put it on full blast and blow yo' motherfuckin' stomach up! Bitch!"

The more Lamar talked, the more Cesar began to look closely at his face. He started to look familiar to him.

"Wait, I remember you," Cesar said. "You and that cracked out bitch came to the barrio to distract us that night."

"Nah, that wasn't me," Lamar said.

"Oh, I know it was you," Cesar said.

"You tryna act all hard now? You the one cuffed up," Lamar said.

At that moment, Franklin and Liz walked up into the bathroom. Liz glared at Cesar, while Franklin went up to Lamar and told him to "take 5." Franklin had a screwdriver in his hand.

Liz walked into the bathroom. "Hello, Cesar."

"Liz." Cesar said.

"You know, what does Alonzo want from me or from Franklin? I'm done with him," Liz said with so much anger in her voice. "Why is he doing this? Why does he need you to do his fucking dirty work?! Answer me, you fucking asshole!"

Franklin turned and put his hand right to her mouth. He whispered, "Chill, girl. Me and my boy got this. You go chill in the living room. Shit's about to get real heavy up in here. Some nasty shit, I tell you."

Liz nodded her head and took off to go sit in the living room of her apartment.

Franklin then turned towards Cesar. "Well, don't feel too good now, don't it? After all the shit you and those Vago asshole done did to me, now we finna do the same to you."

Cesar spit right in his face. Franklin just wiped the saliva off his face and then looked right at him again.

"I don't know about you, but you don't know who you fuckin' with," Cesar said. "You pinche puta better know that if you kill me, then some of my carnales are about to smoke all of you."

"You see, that's the big problem here," Franklin said. "It seems like all of this shit is cuz some fool is too fuckin' whipped over my girl over there or some shit involving a car that my girl won fair and square. This is all a bunch of petty bullshit if you ask me. Oh and I must tell you that I fucked up that fool Alonzo pretty good, so don't tell me that he about to fuck me up soon."

Franklin paused for a few seconds. "So I want to know one thing. What does Alonzo have planned? If he or that Big Queso guy sent you to cap me and my girl, what was next? My boy out there told me that one of yo boys tried to smoke him and my aunt."

"Fuck you, pendejo."

"Wrong answer." Franklin then took the screwdriver and hooked it to one of the screws of the brace and started to screw it right into Cesar's forearm. Right at that moment, Cesar started to scream a bit loudly.

Liz sat in the living room and turned her head a bit and squint her eyes a tad. She trembled a tad from what she had just heard.

In the bathroom, Cesar started to breathe multiple times. Franklin breathed as well as rocked his body back and forth in a mocking fashion. He got the screwdriver once again and then screwed another screw into another part of the man's arm. Cesar held back any screams but with his eyes closed and his teeth showing, it was no secret that he wanted to scream and breathe.

"How does that feel?" Franklin asked. "Don't feel too good when you on the wrong end. You did the same to me the other day. All you did was whack me with a fucking baseball bat."

Lamar came back in. "Hey, dog, let me at him now."

"Nigga, this fool tortured my ass and now I'm giving him some shit he deserve."

"Homie, you ain't the one who almost got shot earlier today. I got as much as right to do this shit as you do, dog. Don't fuckin' hold out on me like you always do."

"Ain't nobody holdin' out on your ass, dog."

"Fuck that, gimme that fuckin' screwdriver!"

Without hesitation, Lamar grabbed the tool from Franklin's hand and then pressed the screwdriver hard into a screw and started to rotate the screw, much to the mild disgust of Franklin.

"Homie, don't act like you all disgusted and shit. You just did some of this shit a little while ago."

"Dog, I know what I was doing, but you just went all out and got all crazy and shit."

Lamar added, "Whatever, homie, I was the one who almost got shot earlier. I got a right to be mad, you know?"

Liz then got up and headed to the bathroom and then noticed that Cesar's arm cast got even redder. "Oh my god!"

"Relax, baby," Franklin said. "We just tryna get some info from this fool."

Cesar looked up at Lamar. "Listen, cabron, that wasn't me who tried to shoot up your hood."

Franklin then turned around and faced him. "Oh, so now someone is talkin'."

"Who was it, asshole?" Lamar said.

Liz then went into the bathroom. "I know that Alonzo came here this morning and threatened my friends. So you're gonna tell us what that pinche cabron wants."

Cesar looked up at the three and then looked down. He inhaled and then exhaled.

"Okay," Cesar said. "I'll tell you everything that you want to hear."

"Then say something, motherfucker!" Lamar said.

"We waitin', fool," Franklin said and then crossed his arms.

Cesar took another deep breath. "You want to know what's been causing all of this? Alonzo has gone off his rocker, ese."

"No shit, puto," Liz said.

"Baby, please, we gotta listen to him," Franklin said.

Cesar continued, "Yes, I will admit that I joined in on the torture the other day, but for Alonzo to come and threaten your friends like that, he's got obsessed. But not obsessed with you, Liz. Worse, he's obsessed with earning his stripes that he's willing to knock off a few Family putos." He then looked at Franklin. "He's been bitter ever since you kicked his ass that one day you gave him a ride. He got obsessed with getting you back. He felt that this was his chance to get noticed. He knew that if he took you and some other Families members out, he would get his recognition. He had been kissing Big Queso's ass for a bit."

"Big Queso, huh?" Franklin said. "That same fool who knocked me out when I went to pick him up? Your shot-caller?"

"The very same," Cesar said. "You want to know something? If you go and try to smoke Alonzo or any of our cliqua, all of our boys or girls will come and strike back at you. I know you want to protect Liz. I know you want to take out Alonzo. But if you really want to do any of that, you need to talk to Big Queso."

Liz added, "I'm surprised you're selling out your own carnal like this, Cesar."

"After what these putos did to me, did I have a choice? Besides, Alonzo was the one who shot me in the arm today. I tried to tell him that this shit ain't worth it. But he didn't want to listen."

Lamar then cut in. "Okay, being that you sellin' out yo' homies like this, who was it that shot up the hood earlier?"

Cesar shook his head a bit. "That was Luis."

"Wait, Luis?" Liz said. "He shot up their neighborhood?"

"That fool may seem calm and cool," Cesar said. "But he is one dangerous vato if you fuck with him or if he got a job to do."

Silence went through in that moment.

"Okay, how do I get to Big Queso?" Franklin broke the silence. "I need some words with him. I'm finna take out your boy sooner or later, with all this shit he's been causin', but I need for him to call off that hit, seein' as he put the green light on all of us."

Cesar sighed. "You need to go and get to him yourself. But if any of our cliqua see you, they gonna try to shoot you."

"Okay, then we gonna need some other help on this," Franklin said.

* * *

**OUTSIDE.**

Whisper and Loca sat in the car. Whisper looked at her phone.

"Oh shit, check out this LifeInvader post," she said.

"Man, I don't want to see that," Loca said. "What's taking that guy so long? He was supposed to be in and out of there."

From the sides of the windows, a couple of men dressed in green approached the driver's side where Loca was sitting. While a couple a women dressed in green approached the passenger side where Whisper was sitting.

One guy drew a gun right to Loca, as did the other man. The same happened on the other side.

"Outta the car, bitch, NOW!" said one of the men.

Loca got out of the car. Whisper got out of the car. They were held at gunpoint.

"Okay, we can do this the easy way," one guy said as he held the gun right to her head. "Or we can do this the hard way if you try to run. What's it gonna be?"

Loca said, "Okay, you got us. Where you guys taking us?"

The Families members led them right to a white Speedo that was parked around the corner. Lamar then came out of the driver's side. He opened the back of the van. The two ladies saw a man dressed in a yellow shirt lying their handcuffed and gagged.

"What the fuck?!" Whisper yelled. The two ladies turned around but it wasn't long until they were thrown into the back while the two Families ladies went inside to take care of matters inside the van.

From out of the corner, Franklin and Liz pulled up in Franklin's white Buffalo and drove off.

"What do we do now?" Liz said.

"We go back to our place," Franklin said.

"We could do that, or we could go check out some places out in Vinewood," Liz said.

"We are marked people right now," Franklin said. "I don't think we should be out and about like this. 'Sides, after all the shit we been through today, I think we should go back and relax. But we'll see. We gotta stay outta sight for now."

"Okay, but I do want to ease some of this stress as well," Liz said.

"We'll find a way," Franklin said. "Let's go back to my crib, though."

"Got it," Liz said and then leaned in to kiss Franklin on his lips. "Let's go."

Franklin drove back to Vinewood Hills. He put it on blonded Los Santos 97.8 FM with "I Can't Go on this Way" from Beanie Sigel, Freeway, and Young Chris playing on the radio. He may have grown up on West Coast rap, but that didn't mean he didn't show any love for the East Coast, as that station would play old East Coast rap sometimes.

The couple was on their way back. They needed to relax after these stressful few days, though Liz may have a few ideas of her own.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me just start off by saying that the torture sequence was heavily-inspired by the torture sequence from the 2002 film, "All About the Benjamins," which starred Ice Cube and Mike Epps. I had watched that movie recently and then re-watched that sequence to see how it all went on.
> 
> As for the next chapter, it will likely have a sequence with Franklin and Lamar trying to confront the Vagos to get to the shot-caller. Sure, Alonzo is the main antagonist of this story, but Big Queso is also an antagonist of this story. There will be a final confrontation with Franklin and Alonzo, as if it wasn't obvious already. There will likely be a few chapters left. I might do another 3 or 4 chapters before I end it.
> 
> As for the guy Luis who did the drive-by in the previous chapter, he will get what's coming to him soon. Just wait.
> 
> Let me know what you think. Peace out.
> 
> "I Can't Go on this Way" performed by Beanie Sigel featuring Freeway and Young Chris. Copyright 2005 Dame Dash Music Group.


	17. Easing the Tension

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Franklin tries to help Liz ease her stress, and enlists the help of someone from his not-too-distant past to help the situation.

It had only been roughly an hour since Franklin and Liz had gone to Franklin's house in Vinewood Hills. They sat in the living room in silence. They didn't look at each other. Not because they can't look at each other after everything that had happened in the past few days. Though it was related, but that wasn't the reason.

No, the reason was because they were under stress from everything that had happened. How could everything have escalated to where it had come to? What's puzzling about all of this was how a lot of this started happening the past few days. But for all anyone else knew, this could have been in the plans for a little longer than what it seems.

It was nighttime, and Franklin and Liz had come back to the house in the hills. Liz sat on the couch as she looked at the floor and then out the nearby window to look down the hill and then at the floor again. Franklin had walked up and saw that she sat there in complete silence. She hadn't said a single word since coming back. But could anybody blame her? After what she and Franklin have been going through, it's hard to keep their minds at ease.

"Liz." Just from hearing someone say her name was enough to break the silence as she jumped from the sound. She looked up and saw Franklin standing before her.

"Hey, baby, you okay?"

Liz sighed. "It's been a rough few days, Franklin. I can't think straight. We would still be out in the desert if those Vagos didn't try going after anybody we know."

"I know what you mean, girl," Franklin said as he sat down right beside her. "I'm finna settle this shit soon. I'ma take care of that fool and then things will be much better."

"You do know that if you shoot him, the others will come after you, and they might come after me, too."

"I know how gang shit works," he said. "I was into that shit until I met Michael and then shit got better. Not that what I did with them was any better, but I got outta the hood and I am away from all that shit."

"But you're still doing things for the CGF, right?" Liz said. "I know that your friend Lamar tries to put it down for the set."

"Let me let you in on something, girl," Franklin said. "Lamar is a dumbass. He my boy and all, but that fool act like being a gangsta is all fun and games and shit. But I know this, some boys and girls from my hood is dead. I knew some OGs who got killed over dumb shit. I had to save that fool from Ballas tryna execute his ass at a mill."

Liz replied. "What about the fact that you two got my car back from Alonzo?"

"I wanted to get it back for you," Franklin said. "But I had no fucking idea that the Vagos would strike back the way they did. From what it sounds like, Alonzo wanna get in so badly, that he used the car, and me, and you as a fuckin' excuse to put it down for his set. At least his boy was able to see that shit."

"So what are you going to do?" she said.

"The only thing I could do," Franklin then took a deep breath. "I'll have to do what it takes to get the green light off a me and you. Then I'm finna take care of Alonzo. I can't let him do nothing to you."

"Baby, please, don't." A tear rose from Liz's eye.

"What else can I do? It feel like that asshole ain't gonna stop until you and me is dead. So what do you want me to do?"

Liz didn't say a word. She saw that there was no other way out of this. Franklin had seen a lot of bloodshed; whether it was from anything he did in the gang life or the heists he took part in. He had seen a lot of deaths occur right before his very eyes, some of which were caused by him.

She leaned in and hugged him just then. Franklin started to hug her as well, and then they looked right at each other and then leaned in to kiss each other. They kissed some more until Franklin started to unbutton Liz's shirt a bit as well as her pants.

"Wait," she said.

"Hold up, what's going on?" Franklin said.

"I'm too stressed out right now," Liz said.

"Okay, we ain't gotta do this."

"No, that's not what I meant. I want a little extra action to help ease all this tension. Yes, I know we fucked in the motel room, but I need more. I want to know, do you still got the numbers to those strippers you fucked?"

"Hold on, you wanna do a little thee way? Is that what you saying?"

Liz nodded. Though sex with Franklin is great and all for her, but with all the stress that she has been dealing with, she needs a little more action to help ease all this tension. For her, it was the only way to get her mind off of it.

Franklin sighed. "Okay, I'ma call one of them." He looked at her once again. "You sure you wanna do this?"

"Positive, baby. I need to get my mind off all of this."

Franklin sighed. "Okay. I'll do this." He went to the contacts section of his Badger phone and looked under I for Infernus.

 _Should I call her?_ He turned towards Liz again and thought of another potential candidate, as this one lived close as well. He passed J and decided "no" to Juliet and then went to N and passed on Nikki. Those two lived a little far and he saw that the mood is in full swing at the moment. He passed on Infernus as he knows that he had her more times. Then came across S for the last candidate and made the call.

Franklin held his phone to his ear as the phone rang and once it went through, a woman's voice said, "Hello? Franklin?"

"Hey, Sapphire."

"Franklin, Baby F," the stripper said in a rather seductive tone. "Been too long. How have you been? You want to have some fun?"

"Actually, yeah, I do, but I need you to come over here," Franklin said and then turned towards Liz.

"Oh, this is a surprise," Sapphire said. "Each and every time you either pick me up from the strip club or come over if you want some fun."

"This is different," Franklin said. "My girl and I want a little fun."

"Your girl? You got a girlfriend now? Wouldn't have guessed it, but I'm up for a little fun. I'm working at Hornbills right now, but I'm about to get off soon."

"Tell you what," Franklin said. "I'ma send a cab over so you can come to my place."

"I will be there, sexy," she said in a very seductive tone.

Franklin then got on the phone with the Downtown Cab Co and told them to send a cab out to Eclipse Boulevard in West Vinewood, where Hornbills was located.

Time had passed and then the doorbell buzzed at the front. Franklin and Liz looked up. Franklin told Liz to stay put as he went to the door and looked through the peephole and then opened the door, as a Caucasian brunette woman stood before him wearing a trench coat with a look of seduction on her face.

"Hey, Baby F, ready for some fun?" The seductive tone couldn't have been more obvious that she was ready for some action. She walked in and looked around.

"What a place you got here," Sapphire said. "How come you never brought me here?"

"We always fucked at yo' place," Franklin said.

"You know, it wouldn't have hurt for you to bring me here. Shit, we could've had a little fun with Infernus as well. I know she had it bad for you. I would've done it. Don't think I didn't know you two were fucking as well." She gave a seductive purring sound and winked her left eye.

Liz then walked up and saw the stripper openly flirting with her boyfriend in front of her. "Um, hi."

Sapphire then turned her attention towards Liz. "Well, Baby F, is this your girl?" She then went up to Liz and got pretty close. "Well, you know. Franklin's got some pretty good taste here. Aren't you a pretty girl?" She then looked her up and down. "And you got quite a body on you. Wait until we get those clothes off of you."

Liz didn't know what to think at that point. While she wanted to have a little three-way action, she saw how openly sexual this woman was. She wouldn't be surprised if this woman was a nymphomaniac. She couldn't say a word and froze a bit.

"Come on, let's go have some fun right now," Sapphire said. She started walking away.

Liz stood there and slowly walked. Franklin looked at her and then walked towards her.

"What's wrong? You havin' second thoughts?"

"I didn't expect her to be _this_ horny," Liz said.

"Girl, I know she a freak," Franklin said. "But I'm tryna help you ease your stress. You said you wanna have a little three-way, you got it. Besides, I remember how horny you was when it was all sex between us."

He was right. Before they started dating, whenever Franklin would go pick her up from the ULSA campus, she would talk dirty to him a lot. She had even suggested that she would get her roommates in on the action.

"Okay, you made your point," Liz said.

Sapphire turned around and faced the couple. "Hey, come on, what are you waiting for?"

Franklin walked ahead to lead the two ladies downstairs to the bedroom. The moment they went into the room, Sapphire wasted little time in unbuttoning her trench coat while dancing in suggestive way. She started with the top buttons as she moved her hips from left to right and front to back. She unbuttoned the rest of the coat and kept the coat closed until she quickly opened it, revealing some sexy purple lingerie. She was not wearing the purple corset that she often wore when she danced at the Vanilla Unicorn. This time, she was wearing a lacy purple bra and a lacy purple thong. She also wore a silver chain around her neck.

Liz went right for Franklin and started unbuttoning his shirt and he did the same thing to her, and then Sapphire went right behind Liz and started to unbutton the rest of her shirt from the bottom. She leaned in right by Liz's face and then pulled one of half of the front and then the other and helped pull her shirt off of her.

Franklin took off his undershirt and undid his pants and took them off. He went right behind Liz and undid her belt and then unbuttoned and unzipped her pants and then slowly pulled them down.

Sapphire went right for Liz and then started running her hand down her face, then down her neck, then down her chest and even cupped her left breast. She continued to run her hand down her body, and then leaned in and kissed Liz right on her lips.

Liz initially felt uncomfortable, but in a matter of seconds, she then wrapped her arms around Sapphire as she reach for the back of her bra and unclipped them, while Sapphire did the same thing to Liz. Franklin came in from behind and wrapped his arms around her from the bottom and ran his hands up her stomach and up to her boobs and cupped them as he started kissing her on the neck. Meanwhile, Liz was running her lips down Sapphire's naked body.

So much fire within the three people in that very moment, with Liz running her lips and licking Sapphire's chest and stomach, Franklin leaned in and kissed Sapphire on the lips and then tongue-kissed her. She then reached towards Franklin's boxer shorts and put her hand down there and started playing his manhood.

While Liz was down there, she slowly started to pull down Sapphire's thong and went to town with a little finger action. Sapphire gasped and her mouth opened and her eyes closed. Franklin then cupped Sapphire's boobs and squeezed them and moved them in different directions. After having Sapphire play with his cock, as well as the excitement from being so close to these two women, Liz felt a slight poke in her butt.

Liz turned around and ran her hands down Franklin's pectorals and then knelt and slowly pulled down his boxer shorts. She stood back up and Sapphire approached Liz from behind and pulled down her thong as well. All three people were completely naked at that point. Liz knelt once again and Franklin sat on the bed as she put her mouth on his dick and started licking on the head and then wrapped her lips around and went up and down.

Sapphire tapped her on the shoulder to signal to her that she wanted a piece. Liz moved as Sapphire went right for Franklin's erect penis and she started sucking and licking away. Liz gently pushed Franklin for him to get on his back. She climbed onto the bed and straddled right over her boyfriend's face. Her legs were spread apart and she lowered herself. Franklin stuck his tongue out and started to lick her vagina in different ways. One way he did it was by moving his tongue in a way to write out letters of the alphabet. Liz's eyes closed and her mouth opened.

Liz got up and sat on the side for a bit. Sapphire released and signaled for her and Franklin to switch places. Sapphire lied right on the bed, as Franklin started kissing her chest and stomach, even licked her belly button a bit. He even got her to sit up so that he could wrap his lips around her enormous boobs. He sucked and licked, as well as put his face in between them. He gently pushed her to lie on the bed, as he moved his body back and put his face in between her legs. Liz climbed onto the bed once and did the same as before, except it was to Sapphire this time. Franklin started going down on Sapphire as well. Sapphire started to moan and groan, as did Liz. They wondered if it was time for Franklin to go in. At least go in one of them in that very moment.

Liz turned around to face Franklin. "Fuck me, baby."

From under Liz, Sapphire moved forward to look towards Franklin and said, "No, fuck me first."

"I got an idea," Franklin said. He reached for his drawer and found a pack of condoms. He opened a wrapper for a condom and put it on. The two naked women sat there and watched.

"Okay, Liz, let's do this doggy style," Franklin said. Liz then went on all fours, and then she looked at Sapphire to lie on her back. Franklin put some lube on his condom-wrapped dick and then went right in and started going to town. Liz moved her face down in between Sapphire's legs and started licking away. Franklin slapped Liz's butt and then squeezed her butt-cheeks.

Liz moved her face up as Franklin started going a little harder. "Oh, me gusta, papi! Si! Si! Eres muy grande!" She said that she likes it and that he is really big.

However, Franklin stopped a bit before he was on the verge of finishing, as he felt it was now Sapphire's turn. However, Sapphire wanted to take control this time. She told him to lie on his back as she climbed on top of him and then guided his erect penis into her vagina and then started riding him. It wasn't long until Liz got behind Sapphire as she was riding him and then cupped her breasts and squeezed and moved them around. She leaned in closer and Sapphire moved her face toward Liz's face and they started kissing and then tongue-kissed. Sapphire started to go a little faster and it wasn't long until both she and Franklin started to moan as Franklin had now hit the climax. It seemed that Sapphire was done, too, as she was exhausted and then fell right on the bed. Liz then lied down next to Franklin on one side, with Sapphire on the other side.

"Man, that was great," Liz said.

"Oh, you two were amazing," Sapphire tried to say it in her seductive tone, but it didn't sound as seductive as before as she was clearly tired from the sex.

"You two were good," Franklin said. "But man, I am so fuckin' tired."

Franklin got up to get rid of the condom as he entered the bathroom nearby. He got back to his bedroom and saw the two ladies were now asleep. It's no secret that they were exhausted from that threesome. It wasn't long until he climbed into bed and lied in between them. He fell asleep not long after.

The next morning, Franklin woke up with the two women sleeping right next to him on opposite sides. They were all naked, too. It wasn't long until Liz woke up and then wrapped her right arm around Franklin.

"Baby, you were so good," Liz said.

"So was you, as well as Sapphire right here," Franklin said.

Liz tapped him on the shoulder.

"What was that for?" Franklin said.

"Never mind," Liz said. "I will say that it eased all of the stress. I guess I really did need it."

"Yeah, you did. But it was all good in the end."

"I'm going to get up now," Liz said. "I might make myself some breakfast."

Liz then got up and soon enough, Sapphire woke up.

"Man, that was incredible last night," she said.

"Yeah, it was," Franklin said while looking up at the ceiling. "Anyway, thanks for this. My girl needed to take some of the edge off. I'm finna call you a cab and then you can go home."

"Oh, Baby F, are you serious?"

Franklin sighed and gave her a look.

"Okay, okay, I will get my things and I will get out of here," Sapphire said. "By the way, we should do this again sometime. Maybe we can get Infernus involved as well. She tells me that she longs for you big black cock again."

Franklin laughed, "I'll think about it."

Sapphire got up and put on her thong and then her bra and then finally her boots and trench coat. Franklin got his phone and called the cab company to call in a cab so that Sapphire can get a ride home.

Meanwhile, Liz walked around upstairs in a bathrobe and was looking through the fridge to make something. She found some eggs and bacon. She reached her hand inside the refrigerator until she heard the doorbell ring.

 _Who could that be, especially this early?_ She thought. She walked towards the door and opened it and there stood an African-American woman in her mid-20s, with a black man who appeared to be older than her.

"Hello, may I help you?" Liz said.

"Is Franklin here?" the woman said.

"Um, yeah, but who are you?" Liz said and then looked at the man. "And who are you?"

"I am Tanisha and this is my husband Jayden. I am an old friend of Franklin's from way back. I heard he has been going through stuff and I wanted to see what was up. Also, who are you?"

"I am Liz, I am Franklin's girlfriend."

At some point, Sapphire walked up to the front door and said bye to Liz and winked at her, as well as raised her eyebrows twice.

"Okay, what's going on here?" Tanisha said.

"This seems kind of weird," Jayden said.

It wasn't long until Franklin got upstairs and went full stop when he saw Tanisha and Jayden standing there with Liz, who was in a bathrobe no less.

"Oh shit, Tanisha, what are you doing here? You didn't say you were coming over."

"I just thought I'd drop by," Tanisha said. "This is my husband Jayden, by the way."

Franklin politely shook his hand.

Tanisha said, "You didn't say nothing about no orgies going on up in here. I saw that ho walk out of here just now."

"It's a long story," Franklin said. "Both of y'all come in. I see you met Liz already, and I'm sure you saw Sapphire."

"Yeah, Sapphire, she looks like a prostitute," Jayden said.

"She's a stripper and what happened here ain't none of your damn business," Franklin said. "So what brings yo' asses up in here?"

Tanisha said, "Lamar and your aunt told me about how some of those Vagos tried to shoot up the old hood. I hear you are having problems with the Vagos. I thought you were done with that life."

"I _am_ done with that life, but my girl used to date a Vago asshole and now I am dealing with some shit with those assholes."

"When did you start digging on caramel, Franklin?" Tanisha said.

"What's it to you?" Franklin said. "I date who I want to date. Besides, I care about her, so I'm protecting her. She's staying here for bit until all this shit settles with those Vago cats."

"So what's going on? Why are there problems with the Vagos and what does your girlfriend have to do with them?" Tanisha said.

"I got some issues with her asshole ex," Franklin said. "See I own the Downtown Cab Company and one day I gave her ex a ride from the university campus to go meet with her. This guy was a sexist asshole, the way he talked to Liz, I wanted to smack him right there. Then he started some shit with me, so I kicked his ass. However, he been wanting to get back for beating his ass, as well as taking back Liz's car from him. He wanna get involved in his set so badly that he went after me and Liz."

"So that's all that happened?" Tanisha said. "I mean how do you know your girl ain't involved in all that shit and she was just some typical hoodrat who just wanted to get out of the hood?"

"Excuse me?!" Tanisha did not expect Liz to be nearby when she said that.

"What did you just say? Did you just call me a hoodrat?" Liz said.

Tanisha's jaw lowered and her eyes widened a tad as she saw Liz, still in the bathrobe walk up to her.

"Oh no, I didn't mean it that way," Tanisha said. "I mean I have seen girls from the hood trying to get out anyway they can by meeting someone. I mean I was talking about in general. I have seen skeezers and hoodrats trying to meet some rich guys to try to get out of the hood."

 _I wouldn't be talkin', girl._ Franklin thought, as Tanisha was born and raised in the ghetto but then met some doctor. "I don't know what you be saying, Tanisha, but Liz here go to college and shit. She ain't no hoodrat."

"Like I said, that's not what I meant," Tanisha said.

Jayden cut in, "She just means that it's typical for some people from the wrong side of the tracks to try to get involved with someone because they know it will get them the life that they want. It probably means that some will try anything to get out of the hood, as a lot of girls from the hood or even trailer park types will try to meet a rich guy so that they can get his money."

"That's what y'all really think?" Franklin said. "Just cuz I got money and a big house, y'all think that Liz is really after that. I may have gotten outta the hood, but me and Liz got something good going on."

Liz then cut in, "You two don't know me. Yes, I may be from the barrio or the hood and all that shit, but I love Franklin. Yes, I really do love him. I know that what you saw when you first got here seemed a bit sketchy, but I am no fucking hoodrat. I had dealt with my share of assholes, whether they beat me or cheated on me, Franklin has actually been one of the better guys that I have ever dated."

"Just saying, but I'm surprised you haven't moved in with him yet," Tanisha said.

Liz looked at him, "It might happen. It probably will, but right now is not the best time."

Franklin looked towards Liz and told her that she should go take a shower and get dressed, and that he'll handle matters here from here on in. Liz walked away, while Franklin stood there before Tanisha and Jayden.

"Tell me, why did you guys really come up in here without calling me first?"

"We just thought we'd stop by. I didn't think that your girlfriend was here, along with that skeezer I saw getting out," Tanisha said. "Your aunt and Lamar told me about a lot of shit be happening on Forum."

"Hold up, you talking about Sapphire?" Franklin said. "What happened here ain't none of your goddamn business. Second, Liz and I have some problems that we tryna fix. I'm finna handle Liz's asshole ex."

"Remember what I told you before? You need to grow up. You ain't changing. Just cuz you live large, that don't mean you better than your old friends."

"Girl, have you looked in a mirror lately?" Franklin quickly responded with such loudness in his voice. "Not to sugarcoat shit, but you act like I abandoned fools, when you flatout walked on me and quickly started dating some motherfucking doctor here and it wasn't long until yo' ass got married. So you live out in Rockford Hills or some shit. Yes, Liz is from the hood, but she tryna make something of her damn self. As for her not living with me, I ain't said it finna happen, but I ain't felt this way about a girl since you left my ass. She might move in, we'll see. And what's this talk about me liking 'caramel' or some shit. Just cuz she's Mexican, that don't mean shit. I mean I fucked a few white girls and some other types. It don't matter to me."

"Never mind," Tanisha said. "I didn't ask for this to happen. I just wanted to check in on you."

"You could have called first," Franklin said.

Jayden cut in, "Look, I get what you were trying to say, but you had no right to disrespect Tanisha like this."

"You think I'm dissin' her? After what I see on LifeInvader, I'm actually glad that I moved on," Franklin said. "Don't tell me that I am dissin' her, because I have known Tanisha a lot longer than you have. I know her a lot better than you do. Yeah, that's right. How long have you known her?"

"Fuck this, I don't need this," Jayden said. "Come on, honey, let's go."

Jayden approached the front door while Tanisha stood there and looked right at Franklin. "Tanisha, what are you waiting for? Let's go, now!"

Tanisha slowly turned around and slowly walked towards her husband. She turned and gave the "call me" hand gesture to her ex-boyfriend/old friend before she walked out the door.

It wasn't long until Liz got out of the shower and put on some clothes that she had with her when they took that trip out of town, even if it was for one night. Franklin then went and took a shower himself. Not just to clean himself up from that wild night of tawdry proportions, but also to help ease some stress after what he and his ex, and his ex's husband talked about.

Right when he got out and got dressed, Liz had prepped some breakfast for him. Franklin approached the table and started eating. It really wasn't much but he ate as much as he could.

"Are you okay, baby?" Liz said.

"Just got a lot on my mind right now." What was odd about this was that Liz was under a lot of stress, but after last night, she had eased a lot. It seemed that he had found the stress that Liz had.

"Okay, I saw that you and your ex didn't really part on the best of terms."

"She broke up with me. Plus, her husband had no right to tell me shit when I got a lot of history with her. With all the shit we been dealin' with, I finna get this shit sorted soon."

It wasn't long until Franklin had finished his meal. Liz had made him a breakfast sandwich. Franklin was impressed by her ability to cook. It wasn't a lot, but it's the thought that counts.

Right after he finished, Franklin got up and grabbed the keys to his Bagger.

"Where are you going?" Liz said.

"I got some shit I need to handle, but I got to do this all by my lonely." He took out some money and loaned it to Liz. "Look, go and call up your girls. Call up Tracey, whatever. I know she wanna hang out with you. You two got along those times. You can even have them come here. Just stay out of Rancho or Forum. I got to go handle some shit right now."

Liz didn't like how this sounded. She knew that Franklin was walking into a pit of danger, but there was no way around it. This stuff needed to stop one way or another.

"Just go, but please be careful, okay?" Liz said. "When I said that I love you, I really mean that. I care about you a lot. I don't want to lose you."

Franklin then gave her a hug after she said that.

"I'll be back," he said. "Just call up your friends or something. I won't be long."

Liz nodded her head and then turned away. Franklin had left the house and put on his helmet and started up his bike and was now off. What he was about to do was anybody's guess? Either he was going to handle this stuff on his own or call up Lamar, or maybe even Trevor to help him sort everything out. Either way, it was possible that he was walking into a death trap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, what a chapter I wrote. I went all out on the sex scene and I had also planned for Tanisha to make an appearance at some point. This was a pretty fitting way for her to appear, as well as her husband.
> 
> I also must note that I had debated between Sapphire and Infernus for the threesome. While it may or may not have seemed gratuitous, having sex in that situation really helped bring the tension off of the characters. As for Sapphire and Infernus, I debated because of proximity, but the reason for Sapphire is because judging by how she was portrayed in the game, she had the feel of an actual nymphomaniac. I mean, yes, Infernus, Juliet, and Nikki were open about their sexuality, but with the seductive voice of Sapphire and the things she said in the game, she was more overtly sexual than the others, almost like she could be a potential sex addicts anonymous member. Kind of like Jennifer Aniston's character in the Horrible Bosses movies, if you ask me.
> 
> I feel that there are a few more chapters to go. I'm going to try to hit 20. There will be an epilogue, as well. So there will likely be about three more chapters to go.
> 
> Until next time, peace out.


	18. What's the Plan?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Franklin tries to get to the bottom of the situation and comes up with a plan to make it happen. Meanwhile, Liz and Tracey bond over stuff.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy New Year, everyone! Here I am back with another chapter. I hope you guys enjoy it.
> 
> Also, this will be split into two perspectives. With some parts touching on Liz, and others will be centered on Franklin.

Franklin took off and left Liz all by her lonesome at his home. He told her to call up any friends to see if she could spend some time with them while he is out trying to sort stuff out.

It had been a rough few days for him and Liz, as they had been facing a major dilemma on their hands. With Liz's ex Alonzo wanting to earn his stripes, the obsession had hit a major point that he was willing to not only kill both Franklin and Liz, but also their friends and family.

Liz couldn't be anymore scared for herself, but she had to keep head up high. She was too stressed out to even go to school or work. But it was a Friday and she didn't have classes on that day. She didn't want to be alone. She was afraid that some of the Vagos would invade and try to kill her right then.

But she had to think positively. Even though she feared that Franklin was about to head into Rancho on his own, he was not stupid. There had to be a plan. But what was the plan?

In the meantime, she looked through her contacts to see if she could try to hang out with them at the moment. She could try reaching out to her friends Lupe and Cecilia, but it was still morning and they were likely at work. She then came across a person that she didn't expect to want to contact.

I could see how she is doing. I just need someone to talk to right now, even though we're not that close, at least not yet. She thought. But she made the call and the call went through.

"Hello, Liz?" A girl's voice said.

"Tracey, hey, how's it going?"

"Going fine. This is kind of weird. You called me pretty early."

"Yeah, well, Franklin's out right now," Liz said. "I am at his house. He needs to take care of some stuff. I was wondering if you want to meet up at Bean Machine."

"Sure, I would like to do that," Tracey said. "Which one would like to meet at?"

"Hold on." Liz then looked on the app for EyeFind Maps and found one on Eclipse Boulevard in West Vinewood. "Let's meet at the one on Eclipse and Strangeways. Does that sound good to you?"

"Sure thing," Tracey said. "I'll meet with you in a bit."

"See you in a bit," Liz said. The calls had ended. She then got her keys to her Gauntlet. She didn't just choose that location because it was the closest for her at the moment, but she was also certain that none of Alonzo's friends would scope out the areas of Vinewood or Rockford Hills.

* * *

**MEANWHILE…**

Franklin had headed into East Vinewood. He pulled into the cab depot on Mirror Park Boulevard and Tangerine Street. It appeared that the main thing he wanted to do was get an explanation from the manager/dispatcher at the depot.

He got off his bike and then quickly walked towards the front entrance of the depot with his helmet in hand. An Asian female receptionist looked up and jumped at the sight of Franklin right in front of her.

"Mr. Clinton, what a surprise," the receptionist said.

"Where's Raul? I need to talk to him," Franklin said.

"Oh, he's in his office right now," the receptionist said. "Business is slow right now. He hasn't received any calls right now."

Just when he heard that, without any words, Franklin rushed towards Raul's office and knocked on the door. It didn't take long for the door to open as Franklin faced an overweight Mexican man with light tan skin and shoulder length black hair. The man also appeared to be in his late-30s or early-40s.

"Mr. Clinton, this is a surprise," Raul said. "I didn't expect to see you here. I thought it wasn't the time to check on the business."

"That ain't why I'm here, Raul," Franklin said. "I wanna know about that guy you had me go pick up a couple of days ago. You said that this guy asked me, right?"

"What's going on?" Raul said.

In a matter of minutes, Franklin had told Raul what had happened to him. After he was done, Raul sat there in complete silence and shock as to what had happened.

"Wow, boss, I don't know what to say," Raul said. "I know Alonzo is a dick and all, but I didn't think he was that crazy. And as for the other guy, he only asked for you. He didn't say why, even though I tried to ask what the reason was. He didn't even tell me his name. That's all I know."

Silence then plagued the air. "Wait, you don't think I set you up, do you?"

"Hell nah, that ain't the case, dog," Franklin said. "I ain't gonna fire yo ass or nothin' like that. You didn't know shit about what was goin' on."

"Well, after a while, Alonzo kept on asking for you to give him a ride, but I banned him after a while. I got tired of dealing with him. Some of our drivers even got sick of how he talked about his girl or some shit."

Franklin wasn't about to tell him about how he was dating Alonzo's ex-girlfriend, because he wasn't about to delve into his personal life at that point. His relationship with Raul was mainly professional. However, he was not surprised that Raul had banned Alonzo from the Downtown Cab Co. Besides, even Franklin was intrigued by the clientele that the cab company had, whether it was a guy who wanted revenge on The Lost MC, or even some thrill-seeker who wanted Franklin to drive recklessly, or even some drunk guy who wanted to get some more alcohol.

After a while, it was time for Franklin to head out. He was about to set everything straight once and for all, but first things first. He needed to talk with a few friends of his, whether it was Trevor, Michael, Lamar, or even some of the other CGF members. He wanted to go and talk with Big Queso to have him call off the hit, but Franklin knows that if he set foot on their turf, he's a dead man. So he's going to need all the support he can get.

Liz had pulled up to Bean Machine. The moment she put the car into the park and took the key out of the ignition, she took a deep breath. It wasn't that she didn't want to hang out with Tracey. Far from it. She was just under a lot of stress. She wanted nothing more than for it to end.

What's crazy about all of this was that she didn't think that she would fall for Franklin like this. Even if she wasn't with Franklin like this and Alonzo still would have targeted them, she still would worry both of their well-beings. But not like how she was feeling. It was also crazy to see how their friends-with-benefits relationship had developed into something much, MUCH more. She had not felt this way in a long time, maybe even ever. She was with Alonzo on and off, and while she did love him at first, things crumbled the moment he started abusing her. She felt that Kyle was different, as he was much older than her and thought he would be more mature. However, he was not faithful and often slept with his clients.

Even when she and Franklin had their relationship be strictly physical, even at some point she started seeing him in a different light. She was not in the least bit surprised that he was having sex with strippers and she even slept with some male classmates. She even experimented with women here and there, but it wasn't enough that she considered herself bi, even though she was clearly into what she was doing with Sapphire in their three-way.

But she felt some kind of connection with Franklin. It developed into something more and she felt that she had fallen pretty hard for him.

As she sat in the car, right behind her, a yellow Issi pulled up and parked behind her. A young blonde woman got out of the car. In that moment, Liz quickly got out of the car.

"Hey, Liz," Tracey said. "Did you just get here?"

"Yeah, I just got here," Liz said. "You want to go inside, or do you want to sit outside?"

"I would like to sit inside," Tracey said.

"Okay, let's do that."

Liz and Tracey sat inside the coffee shop. They talked about school and other things related to their lives. But then something sprung into Tracey's mind.

"So tell me, Liz, how did you and Franklin meet?" Tracey said. "It seems that I'm the only one in my family who doesn't really know him, but he's friends with my dad and my brother. Even my mom has actually talked to him before."

"Okay, just between us girls, he gave me a ride home once from a little incident with my ex." Liz turned her face another way, as she felt strange even thinking about Alonzo. "We had our own little relationship before, but then I started to like him."

"So what, you two just fucked a lot for bit and you started going out?" Tracey said. "It's weird how that always works out. Most guys want me for my body. I mean, yeah, I know that I have quite a history with fucking other guys, but one day I just want to meet someone who doesn't just want to fuck me."

"Well, I didn't expect things to develop the way they did with Franklin," Liz said. "But I can't help the way that I feel. He's not like any other guys who I have met before. There's just something about him. I do have a question for you, though."

"What's that?" Tracey said.

"Your brother, what's up with him? When me and Franklin were at your house, he was staring at me. He was drooling over me even at the hospital. I do wonder one thing. Is he a virgin?"

"Well…," Tracey's eyes shifted to her left when she heard that. "I think he is. He tries to talk to my friends when I bring them over, but he gets all weird around them. Not just because he's so shy, but he says stuff that he shouldn't be saying to girls at all."

"Well, he was gone for quite a long time when we were having dinner. I wouldn't be surprised if he was, well, you know."

"You should have seen when he went with my dad or Uncle T to the strip club. He would be talking about how one of the girls was all over him. I tried to tell him that they're there to make money and that they wouldn't want a loser like him."

"You and your brother don't get along that well, do you?" Liz said.

"We've had our moments in recent memory when things got better," Tracey said. "But for the most part, he doesn't even try to make something of himself and would rather play video games all day long and smoke weed and jerk off pictures of my friends or some shit. I tried to be a big sister and tell him that he should try going to school, but he said that school is for chumps and that he had enough of it before graduating high school."

"Well, at least you're trying to be a good sister to him," Liz said. "I am pretty close with my family. I have a good relationship with my mom and my stepdad, and also my stepbrother."

"What about your real father?" Tracey said.

"I talk to him but not all the time," Liz said. "He wasn't good to my mom that much."

"You have a stepbrother; can I see what he looks like?"

Liz got out her phone and showed her a picture of a young Mexican male.

"Whoa, he's cute. Is he single?"

"Please, let's not get into this. I mean I like you, Tracey. But I'm not ready to set my stepbrother up with anybody."

"Oh, okay, I understand. I would like to know more about other parts of Los Santos. I sometimes get bored about the life in Rockford Hills. Even when I get out of these parts, I would go to Vespucci Beach, but that's about it."

Both women didn't realize that they would form a friendship like this, especially when they are from opposite ends of the spectrum. Then again, Tracey wasn't always a girl from Rockford Hills. Her mother had noted to Liz during their dinner that they were originally from Ludendorff, North Yankton.

"Can you tell me something, Tracey?" Liz said. "At the hospital, you said something about some guys coming into your house to kill you and your mother, but then your mom cut in. I want you tell me what happened. Because Franklin and I are going through some stuff right now."

Tracey then took a deep breath. "These guys dressed in camo gear. They invaded my house and tried to shoot me and my mom. It was so scary. It wasn't the first time I had been in any danger. My dad went to save me from some crazy porn producers at a yacht. They tried to shoot me and my dad. I'm going to tell you right now. I can't tell you how lucky I am to still be here right now if it wasn't for my dad, even though he can be a bit of an asshole sometimes."

"Well, let me tell you something." Liz looked down a bit. "Franklin and I have some problems with my ex-boyfriend. He tried to have some gang members go and try to kill us."

Tracey's eyes widened a tad with a clear "Oh no" expression on her face.

"We took off to Sandy Shores to run for a bit, but then my roommate told me that some of those gang members threatened them. It caused Franklin and I to come back. I have been staying at his house right now. I need to be away from them. It's been a rough few days."

Tracey had so little to say in response to that. "Listen, I think Franklin will be able to handle all of this. He seems like a tough guy, especially with how my brother idolizes him and what my dad says about him. I usually don't say this a lot, but you got to have faith."

"Thanks, Tracey," Liz said and then smiled a bit.

* * *

Franklin had pulled over somewhere to make a call. He first called Trevor and asked if they could meet at the strip club. He then made a call to Michael and asked him to come to the strip club for the meeting. The last person he called was Lamar. It seemed that there were some things he wanted to do before he goes into his death trap.

It was the daytime, so he was not likely to run into Infernus or Sapphire, but rather Juliet and Nikki. Franklin pulled up on his Bagger, and parked the bike close to Michael's Tailgater, Trevor's Bodhi, and Lamar's Speedo. They all agreed to discuss this whole thing in the back part of the strip club, where the meetings for the heists took place.

Franklin headed right for the backdoor and then went inside.

"Hey, F, what took you so long?" Michael said.

"Yeah, we were getting really worried about you, amigo," Trevor said. "You're almost as slow as sugar-tits here."

"Eh, shut up, T," Michael said. "So, Franklin, what's this meeting all about?"

Franklin took a deep breath. "Okay, y'all know about all the shit that I been going through, right? Well, it's time I settle all this, but I'm finna all need your help. Lamar here can round up some of the OGs and other BGs that be finna put it down for the set. But if I go in there all by lonely, I'm finna get a lot a slugs up in me. So I need some of y'all to scope out and bring in some reinforcements if shit gets hot over there."

"Hold on a sec, Frank," Trevor said. "Lamar here told me about some asshole shooting up your neighborhood and almost killed him and your aunt. I want to find that son of a bitch and teach him a lesson. No one, and I mean no one fucks with my boys like that."

"Geez, T, you ain't about to cook up that guy and then fuck him, are you?" Michael said.

"What if I am, Mike? This don't concern you and you know it." Trevor said.

"Hold up, before you two start yammering like a couple of bitches, I think we need to handle some of this shit later on today. Because it's too early for me to get shot up like this and have all a LSPD all on our shit. I mean we done shot shit up in the day, but we ain't prepared for nothin' yet."

Lamar added. "Hold up, nigga. If I got a say in this, it should be me who takes care of that motherfucker who shot up the hood. I got a right to rip that fool a new asshole."

"Maybe we can both do it," Trevor said.

"Look, you two could do what the fuck you want," Franklin said. "I'm just sayin' that it will be hard for us to get in there. The only thing I wanna do is talk to their shot-caller to call off everything so I can take care of that fool Alonzo. I am scared for my girl, so I wanna take care of that motherfucker."

"Well, you know, Franklin," Trevor said. "I got a lot of weapons we can use. So if shit does get heavy, I know I can go in and blast everyone in sight."

"I ain't finna shoot anybody who don't deserve it," Franklin said.

"What do you take me for? I only kill those who fucking deserve it," Trevor said. "Besides, F, if you want me to snipe out everyone, I can do it."

"How about we both do it, T?" Michael said. "But if shit does get heavy, you can go down there and shoot up all you want. It's all gonna go down one way or another. Mark my words."

"This ain't a fuckin' heist we doin', you guys," Franklin said. "It would be much more simple if I didn't have the Vagos on my ass or my girl's ass. So what we need to do is this."

Franklin had started going over a plan for everyone to do their part. It wasn't going to be easy, but if it's successful, then the unrest will now be put to rest. It will result in gunfire and bloodshed, but as long as the attempt on his life and also his girlfriend's life is put to rest, everything will be fine.

* * *

It was now evening. Franklin had told Liz that he was going to settle everything. She didn't want him to do this, but there was no other choice besides what he was about to do. She stayed over at Franklin's house with Chop. She was going to be alone. She would ask Tracey to come over, but even Liz wanted to be alone for a bit. She was not happy that Franklin was about to do this, but it was more that she was scared and concerned than anything.

Franklin drove his Buffalo down to Rancho and parked it a little far from the neighborhood. He had texted everyone to get into position. He walked in alone to make it seem like he had no support.

He walked towards the area where a couple of Vagos were standing and having a smoke. One was wearing a baggy yellow T-shirt with beige khaki pants and had tattoos on his right forearm, one saying Rancho 4 Life. Another was wearing black jacket with a yellow T-shirt underneath and had a yellow bandana around his head and was wearing black jeans.

"Hey, guey," one of the Vagos said. "What you doing around here, cabron?"

Franklin said. "I'm for Big Queso, and I'm here for Alonzo."

The Vago who asked him took a puff from his cigarette and then blew out some smoke. "Follow us, guey."

Franklin suspected that he would be walking into a trap, but it's not like he didn't have support. Not even close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I'm leaving it on a cliffhanger. It will continue in the next one. I'm debating whether I should do two more or three more. I still plan for the final confrontation between Franklin and Alonzo to happen, but I don't know how soon.
> 
> Also, the bit with Franklin going into the jungle like that, it was inspired by that scene in Training Day when Jake goes to the Bloods hood to look for Alonzo (As in Denzel Washington's character). Ironically enough, the antagonist for this story is named Alonzo. Crazy to think that I characterized him and Liz, when so little was known about them in the game.
> 
> I will pick up where this left off very soon. I hope you all enjoyed it.


	19. Come in Peace

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Franklin wants to sort stuff out with the Vagos' shot-caller.

Franklin had followed the two Vagos down into the projects. Several gang members were seen hanging out, especially with some cholas just dancing to some music playing nearby. Some speakers were blaring "East Side Rendezvous" from Frost.

As Franklin walked behind the two Vagos, several other cholos who were close by glared at him with the most venom in their faces. One even said, "Hey, you know where you at, puto?"

Another one blurted out, "You in the wrong hood, pendejo!"

You had different types hanging out in the vicinity. Some had their heads shaved and wore Locs sunglasses on their foreheads. Others had their yellow Pendleton shirts and black chinos with Eris shoes. Some of the cholas were sporting their wife-beater crop tops with suspenders and had the yellow rags around their foreheads.

It was unclear whether they would just draw their weapons right then and there, or just jump him at a moment's notice. A lot of Vagos were likely sure about all the drama with Franklin and Alonzo that had been going on. But the only thing that Franklin wanted to do was make a deal with the shot-caller, Big Queso.

But Franklin wasn't stupid. He wanted to discuss things in a civilized manner, even if a lot of gang members don't even understand the concept of civilization. He didn't pack any heat with him. If he did, he was dead. There was no denying that. He only had support in case things were to escalate. He didn't want to express fear in this situation, but it was clear that he was not welcome there. It was possible, if likely that any of the Vagos would draw a gun and just blast him.

The gang member with the cigarette turned around to face Franklin. "What do you need to speak to Big Queso for?"

Without any warning, Franklin said, "I need to set some shit straight. Y'all ain't gotta worry about shit. I ain't strapped or nothin'."

"You think we stupid, ese?" the other Vago said. "We heard about all the shit you did around here. We heard you jacked Alonzo's fucking car."

"That car belonged to my girl," Franklin said. "I was just tryna get it back for her."

As the three men stood in the courtyard of the projects where a lot of people were hanging out, several other Vagos mean-mugged at Franklin. Even some who were leaning on the poles to the clotheslines where people hang laundry. It almost seemed that they believed that there was more to it than just stealing a car or even something as petty as stealing a man's woman. Something told Franklin that they believe that some other things were a factor.

It didn't help that in a matter of seconds, several Vagos slowly walked towards Franklin. From a distance, Trevor and Michael were laid out on top of the roof of the project building with the Virgin Mary mural on the side. They had their rifles set up and had the infrared feature on the scope, in case they had to see in the dark.

"Shit, they're going to fuck him up," Michael said.

"Relax, Mikey," Trevor said. "F said that if shit got heavy, then that's when we make our move."

"Hope you're right," Michael said. "If any of them get too close to him, it's going to be hard to fire on them without hitting Franklin."

"You've been doing this for years, sugar-tits," Trevor said. "Don't act like you can't do this."

"Eh, fuck you, T," Michael said.

Back in the courtyard, Franklin was surrounding by the Vagos, until someone yelled, "Stop!" In that very moment, several Vagos turned towards an overweight man with glasses, short hair and a yellow plaid button-down shirt. It was none other than Big Queso.

"Leave him alone. He's here because he wants to discuss something with me. Let him go, all of you."

It didn't take long until a lot of the Vagos separated themselves from Franklin, while the other two gang members whom he followed stayed there.

Big Queso said, "You got a lot of balls showing your face around here, puto."

"Just want to sort some shit out, ya know?" Franklin said. "Shit's been gettin' hot lately."

"And what do you want? A truce?" Big Queso said. "You know, let's talk about this inside. Chavo." The gang member with the cigarette from before turned right towards Queso. "Search this fool, make sure he ain't got no cuete on him, verdad?"

Chavo nodded. Big Queso said to the other gang member. "You too, Eduardo. Search that fool."

Both Chavo and Eduardo went from top to bottom on Franklin, ranging from his shirt to his pants and even his shoes. It was a procedure that needed to be done.

"He's clean, vato," Chavo said. "He don't got nada, homes."

Big Queso nodded and signaled to the two Vagos to leave him be and then he signaled to Franklin to come in. "Come on in, homes. You say you want to discuss this like men, step into my office now."

Franklin said nothing, but he slowly followed Queso, Chavo, and Eduardo inside through the door into the apartment, which was on the first floor. Franklin was dead silent and there was side in his system that wanted to shake, but he didn't want to express fear in the matter. Nor did he want to arouse suspicion. It was time to get this stuff sorted. All Franklin wanted to do was get Alonzo to leave Liz alone, but with this contract out on both of them, neither of them were safe. So there was only one way to get this thing situated.

Inside the apartment were two younger girls sitting on a couch. They looked like they were in their late-teens. Franklin wasn't sure if they were girlfriends or maybe relatives. That wasn't important. Big Queso had his back turned towards Franklin.

"So what do you want to discuss, ese?" Queso said as he started to turn around to face Franklin. "Like I said, you got a lot of balls showing your face around here. Some of my men want you dead."

"That's what I want to talk to you about," Franklin said. "For the past few days, Alonzo and some of your boys be givin' me and my girl a lot of problems. I even saw some of your boys and girls while I was as the hospital. I even heard about some of them even shooting up Forum Drive and hassling my girl's friends. I know how you fools roll, dog. That shit ain't cool. I'd expect those Marabunta assholes to ride up on anybody like that, but don't y'all have a thing called a code? From what I hear, y'all got a contact on my ass, as well as my girl. But if y'all can't find us, then y'all finna smoke some of our friends."

"What's your point?" Queso said.

"I know how all this shit goes, homie," Franklin said. "I used to roll with the Families. I know how gang shit works, dog. But all I'm asking is for all y'all to back the fuck off."

Usually in this situation, someone would start laughing at a comment like this. However, Big Queso had a slightly confused expression on his face. While he was involved in torturing Franklin a few days prior, some of the stuff that had happened seemed like news to him. He then turned towards the two girls on the couch.

"Letty, Dreamer," Queso said to the two girls on the couch and then said in Spanish, ["I want you two to get out right now. Go and grab some Taco Bomb or something. We need to be left alone right now."]

"Papa," Dreamer said.

"Not another word, girls," Queso said. "This is grown people talk. Go get something to eat or go call up your friends to hang out, or go call your mom and see her. This is between us."

It was now clear that those two girls were Big Queso's daughters. For a gang shot-caller, it showed that he was caring for his kids that if something were to go down, he didn't want them caught in the crossfire. The two girls looked up at their father and then towards Franklin with so much confusion in their eyes.

Dreamer was the older one of the two. She got up from the couch and went towards the kitchen with the light on, while Letty sat on the couch with a dim lamp on right beside her. Dreamer then came back with a keychain in her hand and looked towards her sister.

"Come on, Letty," Dreamer said. "Vámonos." She said "let's go" in Spanish.

Big Queso, Franklin, Chavo, and Eduardo stood there and watched the two young girls get up and leave and walk out the door. The moment the door and screen-door shut, Big Queso said, "Come on, ese, let's talk."

Big Queso led the way into the kitchen and pulled out a chair right at the table and sat down. He signaled to Franklin that he wanted him to sit in the chair right across from him. He told Chavo and Eduardo to just hang out in the living room, as Big Queso wanted this to be a conversation between both men.

"Okay, Franklin. I want you to tell me what the fuck happened."

Franklin was a bit dumbfounded that the shot-caller had little-to-no knowledge about some of the stuff that happened. "Hold up, you finna tell me that you ain't know nothin' about the shit that went down?"

"That's why I want you to tell me what happened," Big Queso said. "You see, I know how a lot of my men handle their shit. I may get involved in some stuff, but when it's a personal matter, I let them handle it on their own. If they want to earn their stripes, I let them handle their shit, but I don't get involved, unless it's a business matter or a truce."

Franklin turned the left side of his face forward with a slightly puzzled look on his face. Big Queso might have a point here, but Franklin wasn't sure if he should believe him.

"Okay, so tell me, did you put the green-light out on me and Liz?" Franklin said. "Tell me the truth, dog. I need to know, because my boy Lamar and my aunt almost got shot up out in Forum. I can only imagine that some of you guys were finna smoke Liz's family and friends. Also, my girl told me that y'all made a big fuckin' deal over her ride 'cuz of some shit involving a fool named Snake Eyes."

Big Queso looked up directly in Franklin's eyes the moment he heard that name. He even took off his glasses to wipe the lenses a bit.

"Snake Eyes, huh?" Big Queso said and took a deep breath. "I know Snake Eyes, yes. I heard about Liz beating him in a race when he put up a pink slip for his car. He owed some debts, but that was all on him. It had nothin' to do with the cliqua, verdad? Snake Eyes got into some shit not long after and that got him put in la pinta. All that stuff involving your friends and family, that's all on Alonzo."

Franklin sat there with a blank stare on his face. There was something about this that seemed wrong to him. Big Queso pretended to be a passenger for Franklin. Some shot-callers would get their hands dirty, but a lot of the time, they usually allow their followers to do their own dirt. There was something off about all of this.

"You say you ain't got shit to do with the hit and all," Franklin said. "But why did you pretend to be a passenger and get involved in the torture?"

Big Queso took a deep breath. "You see, Alonzo wants to get in good with us. I wanted to see what he's made of. When he told me that you were a member of the Chamberlain Hills Families of the Forum Drive set, he told me that you and some other fools got involved in jacking his car on our turf. He did a lot of research. He thought that if you and some Family putos were involved, then we would give him and some of the others the green light on you. He wants to prove himself, so this was his way at earning his stripes."

Franklin figured that was what Alonzo and Queso talked about when they went away during the torture. He was right. Alonzo wanted to get recognized.

"Just letting you know, I don't ride with the Families no more," Franklin said. "Okay, I am still a little connected, but I ain't involved in that shit. All I was doing that night was just doing my girl a favor. She ran into that asshole at school and she got into it with him. So I wanted to do something nice for her. But then after a month, all this shit went down. The only thing I want is for all y'all motherfuckers to back the fuck off. I don't want nobody getting hurt over some petty bullshit like jacking a ride or stealing some fool's girl."

Big Queso was speechless and then nodded his head. Queso looked to his right and saw Eduardo and Chavo get up and face him.

"Hold up, homes," Chavo said. "You mentioned Alonzo and some shit, right? That's fool's been trying to kiss our asses for a long time. He wanna get in with la cliqua, ese. Pero you need to see that it ain't easy to gain respect in the barrio."

"Just like it ain't easy to get respect in the hood," Franklin said.

Big Queso cut in, "That's why I never shake Alonzo's hand, homes. He don't respect nada. You see, Alonzo's a hothead. I knew Liz, too. He often beat the shit out of her, and talked down to her like she was a fucking puta. When things didn't go his way, he went off like a fucking bomb. Shit, ese, I even figured that he shot his own carnal in the arm. In fact, I was there when it happened."

Finally, it dawned on Franklin why Cesar had that arm brace when he and Lamar tortured him the night before. Then it hit him. When he and Liz were leaving Strawberry the night before, the other Families members had put Cesar and those two cholas in Lamar's van. What happened to them was what Franklin wondered at that very moment.

"Okay, then why did you dump my ass out in Carson where the Ballas roll?"

"It was nothing personal," Big Queso said. "I was only told that you were a CGF member and I figured that with the Families and Ballas being rivals, Alonzo wanted them to take care of the problem. But after all the things you told me, I am going to call off the hit and then I will handle Alonzo myself. It was a ballsy move for you to come here and try to sort all this out."

"What about the stuff with Snake Eyes and his ride?" Franklin asked.

"Don't worry," Big Queso said. "He is not getting out anytime soon. Besides, Alonzo acted like that Gauntlet was his, even though I sometimes saw him yell at Liz for driving it, but that car is hers. That car don't belong to Snake Eyes after he put the pink slip on it. I promise you, I will call off the contract on you and Liz."

Franklin nodded his head. He wasn't sure if he wanted to shake the shot-caller's hand, but as long as the contract was called off, he could sleep tonight without having to worry about Liz.

However, Eduardo heard something outside. He got up from the couch and looked outside and saw that car had crashed into a wall into another project building. Out of nowhere, several guys in green went into the courtyard.

"Hey, jefe, we got a problem outside right now," Eduardo yelled.

Chavo got up and headed towards the window, as did Big Queso. Franklin sat there in the kitchen with a puzzled look on his face. The three Vagos turned their attentions towards Franklin.

"You son of a bitch!" Big Queso said with so much venom and glared at Franklin. "I should have known that this peace offering was too good to be true."

"The fuck you talking about?" Franklin said.

"Your boys are outside fucking up shit," Big Queso said. He quickly walked towards Franklin as he still sat in the chair and then pushed the chair down on its right as Franklin fell to the floor. Eduardo and Chavo kicked him while he was down.

"We're gonna take care of you right now," Big Queso said.

Franklin figured he was good as gone, but there had to be a way out of this. There just had to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, I might not finish this at 20 like I thought. I might finish it at either 21 or 22, as I want to do an epilogue. The next chapter will continue right from where this left off. Don't worry, I will get to the final confrontation with Alonzo soon.
> 
> I also remembered that I left out something about the two female Vagos and Cesar being abducted in chapter 16. It will be mentioned in the next one.
> 
> I will get on chapter 20 soon. Like I said, it will pick up directly where this left off. I initially wanted this to be where the action sequence would take place, but I thought it would be better for there to be dialogue and buildup before all hell breaks loose.
> 
> Until next time, peace out.


	20. Exchange in Disaster

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> All hell breaks loose while Franklin tries to fight for his life.

**EARLIER THAT SAME DAY…**

A little while after the meeting was called off at The Vanilla Unicorn, Franklin walked right out of the door to the back area of the strip club. The only thing on his mind was how he was about to enter the Rancho Projects without having the Vagos wanting to gun him down.

It was going to be a tough feat, but he had to do it. He wanted to go into the area alone and have no weapons. He only asked Michael and Trevor for support in case something was to go down. However, he was hesitant in asking Lamar for support.

"Hey, Trevor, I'll holla at you later," Lamar said as soon as the door opened and he faced inside through the doorway. "Later, dog. Peace."

Franklin stood there in the alleyway facing the streets of Strawberry will of the traffic passing by. All he could think about was the safety of his woman, as well as going in there to try to make a peaceful negotiation. He had a bad feeling, which was why he asked his main friends for help on this.

"Hey, nigga," Lamar said. The moment Franklin heard Lamar's voice, he turned his attention right towards him.

"Oh, hey, dog," Franklin said.

"Look, nigga," Lamar said. "What do you think I should do?"

Franklin took a deep breath as he turned around to face his friend with his back facing the traffic on Strawberry.

"I'll text you to come in if shit gets heavy," Franklin said. "Better yet, I'll tell Trevor to call you to bring the Families OG's if they all try fuckin' with me."

"Well, you know somethin', partna," Lamar said. "I got a reason to be out in the fuckin' war zone if shit was to get hot, ya know? I'm finna bring some of the G's to help shoot up all those Vago motherfuckers who fucked with us. Also, what's this I hear you ain't going in strapped?"

"I'm tryna play this smart, homie," Franklin said with so much determination in his voice. "If I'm heated, then they think I'm finna go in there in and clap that fool Big Queso. I ain't tryna shoot nobody if I don't have to. I just want them to back off. But that don't mean I won't handle Liz's asshole ex."

"You gotta understand, homie," Lamar said as they started walking down the alleyway to find their vehicles. "It would be smart for you get your shit done and then take care of those Vago fools. You see, those cats fuckin' shot up the hood, then we gotta shoot up their hood."

"You must think this is all a fucking game, don't you?" Franklin said as they got close to the parking lot with their vehicles. "My beef is only with that motherfucker Alonzo. That's all I want to take care of. You need to get your facts straight. That fool shot up the hood as a way of sending a message. It wouldn't have mattered if it was me or if it was my aunt, or anybody. I don't want you to go in and start shooting up their hood."

"The fuck you talking about?" Lamar said.

Franklin sighed, "Never mind."

"No, tell me," Lamar said in a demanding tone.

"I know you too well, dog," Franklin said. "You want to be like the gangbangers of the 80s and 90s. Well, you know something. I may have killed a lot of people, but that don't mean that it feels good to do it. I don't do that shit for fun. And I just remembered one thing."

Franklin paused for a few seconds. "When Liz and I were going back to my crib last night, what did y'all do with that fool we tortured and those two bitches?"

"You don't need to worry about what we did with them," Lamar said. "After all, we might need to send a message to those motherfuckers who wanna fuck with us. Shit, dog, you ain't puttin' it down for Forum no more, so I gotta do what I can and get the Gs to put it down. You used to be down, 'member?"

As they continued to stand close to their cars, Franklin sighed once more.

"Listen, I just don't want no shit to go down. You can help, but I don't want you to fuck up shit out there. 'Sides, Mike and Trevor are only gonna help me if shit do get hot out there. They only gonna snipe fools."

Franklin approached his green Bagger and was about to put on his helmet. "Just promise you ain't finna fuck shit up."

Lamar looked away for a bit and sighed a bit. "A'ight, I ain't gonna fuck up any a ya shit. You got my word." He then held his hand out and slapped dap with Franklin.

"Okay, I hope you see shit my way, dog," Franklin said. "I'ma hit you up later. I'll go over the plan with you, Trevor, and Michael before I'ma hit up Rancho."

Lamar nodded his head as Franklin put on his helmet and started up the bike and then moved backwards before he went on his way. Lamar looked on with a look on his face that showed that he couldn't believe that Franklin doesn't trust him. But really, after a lot of things that Lamar put Franklin through, can one really blame Franklin for feeling that way?

After Franklin took off, Lamar's cellphone rang. He noticed it was a fellow Families member calling up.

"Hey, what's up?" Lamar said. "What? Are you fucking kidding me? Those two are fucking dead?! Shit! Look, I'ma be in the hood in a few minutes. Just wait for me, dog."

* * *

Franklin lied on the floor of Big Queso's kitchen and looked directly at the floor. He suddenly felt some movement as he lied on the floor and saw that he was moving backwards. It only meant that Queso, Chavo, and Eduardo were dragging Franklin.

He knew he was in trouble. It was at this moment that he felt that he should have come in strapped.

Big Queso opened a door and turned on the light. Chavo and Eddie picked up Franklin to his feet and then saw that he was in the bathroom. In a matter of seconds, Chavo and Eddie shoved Franklin into the bathtub. He looked up right at the three Vagos.

"Listen, you two," Big Queso said. "We take care of this vato right here and then we go handle shit outside, comprende?"

Big Queso then drew a double-barrel shotgun and pointed it right at Franklin's face.

"You come into my fucking pad and try to call a peace offering?" Big Queso said. "Only for your Family vatos to come in and try to start shit with us? You gonna bleed for this, homes."

Eduardo then turned on the faucet in the tub. Franklin lied in there in an awkward position with his upper body in the tub as his lower body is right out the tub and his legs touched the floor. Big Queso poked the shotgun barrels right to Franklin's face.

"If you're a religious man, ese, you better say one last fucking prayer," Big Queso said.

"Wait, listen to me right fucking now," Franklin said. "I'm telling you right now. I ain't had nothin' to do with that shit outside right now. I only wanted you guys to back off. That's all. I ain't strapped."

"Why should we believe you?" Big Queso said, as he moved the barrel right to Franklin's eyes. "Answer me, god damn it!"

"Listen, I am loaded," Franklin said. "If y'all listen, I can give y'all a lot of money."

"You think that's going to work here, ese?" Chavo said.

"That's the only way you value your life if you pay us?" Eddie said.

"I came in here all by myself, ya hear?" Franklin said. "Y'all know I ain't got no fuckin' weapons on me. Why would I not be strapped if I knew this shit would go down? If I pay y'all 25 Gs, will y'all let me go?"

Suddenly, Big Queso moved the shotgun away from Franklin's face and then looked right at Eddie and Chavo, who gave him looks of skepticism.

"Nah, we gonna blow your fuckin' head off," Big Queso said and then point the shotgun right to his Franklin's face as the water was still running on his face.

"Okay, 50 Gs!" Franklin said. "Look, I'm serious about every damn thing said. I ain't got nothin' with the shit that's goin' on outside. I can wire the money and y'all get the fuck off my back, okay?!"

Big Queso then moved the shotgun way from Franklin's face once again and looked to his two cohorts. "Okay, we got a deal. I will call off the hit."

He then grabbed a towel and tossed it to Franklin's head as Eddie and Chavo pulled him up and got him to sit on the toilet that was nearby.

"Look, I know you got problems with Alonzo," Big Queso said. "I promise that we will not go after Liz or any of your friends. You can handle with your own shit with him. Just do it, but if you ask me where he is, I will fucking kill you."

"Got it," Franklin said.

* * *

**MEANWHILE, OUTSIDE…**

Right when the car crashed into the wall, some of the Vagos that were hanging out in the courtyard ran right towards it and looked inside. The person appeared to be dead and had an arm brace on. It turned out to be Cesar, who was in the driver seat and leaned his decaying head right into the steering wheel and the horn.

Out of nowhere, several CGF members started walking with their guns drawn and started blasting away at several Vagos. Some of them were unarmed and bullets even landed on some bystanders who were just hanging out in the vicinity. It just happened to be in that area, as they didn't go to the other section of the Rancho Projects.

Right up above, Michael and Trevor looked on and saw all hell breaking loose at that very moment.

"Do you see Franklin anywhere?" Michael said.

"No, I don't," Trevor said as he looked through the scope and saw a familiar Face below, along with two other CGF members with two women who were in their underwear. That person was Lamar.

"Oh, fuck," Trevor said.

"What?" Michael said.

"I see Lamar down there," Trevor said. "I'm going down there."

"I'll cover you, T," Michael said. "I promise I won't let anything happen to you or F if I see him."

Trevor heard him but he was so determined that the only thing he cared about was the safety of both of his friends.

He dropped onto a flight of stairs and ran right to his Bodhi to look through his weapon stash. He got out an AK-74 and put a magazine in there and got a few other magazines to carry in the event he needs to reload.

Michael remained on the rooftop as his eye looked through the scope at Vagos coming at the Families members. He squeezed the trigger as he popped one right in the dome of a Vago as he dropped with blood and brain matter splattered out of his head.

Several bystanders who were around just took off running in the opposite direction. Another Vago got out with a Mossberg shotgun and started to blast buckshots right at a few of the CGF members who were close by. They all dropped right on impact from each of the buckshots. There was no getting up from that.

However, that same Vago with the shotgun met a 5.56x45mm slug right to the chest and left a huge hole right in it.

Trevor approached Lamar down below right around the corner by the wall with the Virgin Mary mural away from all the gunfire. "Hey, Lamar, what's going on here?"

Lamar turned around and saw Trevor. "Where the fuck is Franklin? I'm finna go in there and find the fool that got him."

"What's with the girls?" Trevor said.

"We finna make a little exchange," Lamar said. "These girls were our little insurance policy. If they got Franklin in there, then these Vago assholes can have these two bitches back."

Trevor leaned right around the corner of the wall and saw that bodies have dropped, until more of them continued to come out and then saw a guy with a yellow football jersey and a yellow rag around his head on the roof of one of the buildings on the other end. His eyes widened the moment he saw that Vago draw what appeared to be an RPG-7.

"Oh, fuck me!" Trevor said as he saw more CGF members coming out on the opposite side of where he, Lamar, the other two CGF members with the two girls. The moment they walked into the courtyard, a rocket-propelled grenade had exploded the moment they stopped. Trevor and Lamar saw that the Vago aimed the rocket launcher towards them.

Trevor signaled to Lamar and the others to back up and then saw more Vagos come in but they were didn't go any closer to in order to stay out of sight of the rocket launcher-wielding gang member. Trevor looked up and saw that Michael was nowhere to be seen on the roof. There was no time to complain as a friend's life was at stake.

It didn't matter to Trevor, as he walked right into the danger zone with his AK.

"COME ON, YOU MOTHERFUCKERS!" Trevor yelled. "COME AND GET SOME!"

In less then a second, he sprayed a lot of rounds into the chests of four Vagos who were in the courtyard, as their bodies had dropped near the other bodies of other Vagos and fallen CGF members. A fifth Vago popped out through the door of an apartment with a shotgun and blasted a shot right towards Trevor, who then noticed that it barely missed him by a few inches. But that didn't stop Trevor for popping six rounds into that man's chest as blood sprayed right out of there and then he dropped right to his front with the screen-door open next to his body.

There was only one left standing and that was the man on the roof. Trevor looked right at him as he saw him reloading the rocket launcher. Trevor then loaded a new magazine right into his assault rifle.

He signaled to the Vago on the roof with an expression of "Come on! Come and get me!" When that happened, the Vago was getting ready to aim the rocket-propelled grenade right him. Trevor drew his rifle and aimed it right at him. The Vago was ready to squeeze the trigger and then BANG! A slug went right through his leg. Being that he stood close to the edge of the roof, the Vago then tumbled and fell right from the roof and to the ground below.

Trevor turned around and saw Michael standing around the corner of the building on the other end of the courtyard. The building was close to the parking lot of the projects.

"I thought you ditched me at first, amigo," Trevor said.

"I had to be out of that guy's sight," Michael said. "He would have blown me up."

It wasn't long until a couple of more gunshots were heard, but it wasn't like they were being fired towards anyone. The shots sounded like they were single shots each time. In fact, they sounded like warning shots.

It turned out it was Big Queso, as he was letting Franklin go the moment all of the carnage had stopped. But that didn't stop Lamar from drawing his 9mm and pointing it right at the Vagos.

"Lamar, put the gun down!" Franklin yelled and started walking towards . "I got my shit taken care of."

"That don't fuckin' matter, dog," Lamar said. "These fools shot up the hood. We need to take 'em out."

Big Queso said, "What happened here just got out of hand. We don't need to have any problems. Your friend made a deal with me."

Lamar then looked towards Franklin who had just walked up.

"Oh, so now you making deals with the enemy?"

"I told you not to start any shit, remember?" Franklin said. "Some of the Gs died from all this shit. Look out there!"

Several corpses were laid out on the courtyard from all of the carnage that had just occurred.

"That shit don't matter, nigga!" Lamar said. "You wanna know something! I got a call and they told me that Tonya and JB got shot up earlier. They dead, fool!"

"What? JB and Tonya are dead?!" Franklin said as he raised his hands and put them to his head.

"Look, you and I are gonna have a few words about this," Franklin said. "I need to go see my girl now. Then I'm finna handle all that shit with her ex."

"How's that gonna go down if you kill one of these cats?" Lamar said.

"Like I told you, I made a deal with the shot-caller," Franklin said.

Big Queso said, "Hey, all of you get the fuck out of here!"

"Wait," Franklin said. He signaled to the other two CGF members who had the two girls. "These are the girls that were with your boy. Don't worry, they ain't hurt her." He then looked to Lamar and talked under his breath. "Y'all didn't do any of that shit to them, did you?"

"The fuck?! Hell no!" Lamar said. "We don't do that shit!"

"Whatever, dog, let's get the fuck out of here," Franklin said.

As Franklin, Trevor, Michael, Lamar, and the other two CGF members were walking out of the Rancho Projects area, a yellow Tornado was parked around a corner and then started to move the moment they saw them walk.

As they walked, the Tornado started rolling towards them and a Vago on the passenger side held an Uzi right out the window and started blasting. Almost everyone ducked the moment the shots started firing. The two CGF members got up and drew their weapons. One who was wearing a green hoodie and blue jeans drew a Mac-10. The other who was wearing a green Feuds jersey and Feuds hat drew a 9mm pistol and started firing at the Tornado. Several bullet holes were shown in the trunk area of the car as it continued to roll on out of there.

The two CGF members turned around saw Franklin tending to Lamar, whose stomach was bleeding from the shots from the Uzi. Blood then started oozing out of his mouth.

"Come on, Lamar, you got to fight to fight this," Franklin said, as he breathed and tear trickled from his right eye.

Trevor and Michael were nowhere to be found, until a red Bodhi pulled up. Franklin was not about to go get his Buffalo as the only thing that mattered was getting Lamar some help. The closest ones were the Central Los Santos Medical Center and the Pillbox Hill Medical Center. However, one was closer, and that was the Pillbox Hill one.

Franklin carried the wounded Lamar and Michael went onto the bed of the truck and helped lie him down. Franklin then climbed onto the bed by climbing over the tailgate.

Trevor stepped on the gas and ran several red lights. He didn't care. He wanted to take Lamar to the hospital. Franklin held Lamar in his arms.

"We gonna get you some help, dog, just hang in there!" Franklin said.

"Franklin…," Lamar slowly said. "Hear…this…homie."

At that speed, it didn't seem like Lamar had that much long.

"I'm…sorry…for," Lamar said as he continued to try to breathe and fight for his life.

"Sorry for what, dog? Just tell me!" Franklin said.

"All…of…this," Lamar said and then his hand dropped from Franklin and his head dropped to his right.

"Lamar, Lamar! Say something, nigga!" Franklin said.

He looked at Lamar some more, who was pretty much gone at that point.

"Come on, dog! Say something!" Franklin yelled as his voice started cracking a bit. Michael then turned around and saw that Franklin started crying over his fallen friend. Franklin told Trevor to keep going to the hospital so that they could drop off Lamar's body. He didn't think that it would get this out of hand, but it did.

Later on, after they had dropped off Lamar's body at the hospital, they took Franklin back to Rancho so that he could get his car.

"I'll hit you guys up later," Franklin said. "I got a lot of shit on my mind right now."

As he walked away, Trevor and Michael looked at their friend with so much worry on their faces.

"You think he's going to be okay?" Michael said.

"He'll be alright," Trevor said. "I know that Franklin and Lamar have had their problems, but I know that deep down he cared about him. We need to leave him alone for a bit. Come on, let's go. I'll drop you off at your house."

Franklin slowly walked towards his car. He opened the door to the driver seat and sat down with his head down. He couldn't believe what had just happened. He wasn't sure that it was bound to happen sooner or later, but it did. Everything got out of hand. It was possible, if likely that Lamar would still be alive if he hadn't gone in like he did. He did want to make the exchange, but what caused hell to break loose was the car crashing and the CGF members going in and start blasting.

He got out his phone and went right to his contacts and then reached Liz. He called her. It didn't take long for the call to get through.

"Hey, baby, what's going on?" Franklin said.

"Well, hello…Franklin," a male voice said.

"Hold up, who this?" Franklin said. "Why do you got Liz's phone?"

"Oh, don't worry, Liz is fine," the man said. "She is right where she belongs, with me!"

It dawned on him on who he was talking to.

"Alonzo! Where is she?!" Franklin said.

"She's close by, but she can't get to the phone right now," Alonzo said. "Why don't we meet up somewhere so we can have a nice chat? Meet me under the Olympic Freeway, where you took me that one time. We need to talk."

"You better not fucking hurt her," Franklin said.

"Oh, I won't, at least not yet," Alonzo said. "You better come alone. I heard that you putas shot up our pads. That's not cool, pendejo. I'll see you in a bit."

Franklin immediately hung up the phone. First he loses his best friend, now his girlfriend has been kidnapped. This has been a rough few days for Franklin Clinton.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, Lamar bit it. I was a bit hesitant to do this, but a friend gave me this idea, but it was different than what he suggested. Besides, while it was tragic, it was kind of karmic. I'm not saying he deserved it, but sometimes the life you lead while catch up to you. Besides, a lot of these sequences were inspired by Training Day, Menace II Society, and also Set It Off. Also, the part about calling off the hit was sort of inspired by the first John Wick movie, but I am not sure if a confrontation between Franklin and Big Queso will happen. It's unlikely as the deal was made. Plus, the part about him letting Franklin go handle Alonzo was a bit inspired by the 2007 movie Death Sentence.
> 
> The final confrontation is near, by the way. I will do that in the next chapter and I think I might end it at 22 with an epilogue. I shall see.


	21. Retribution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Franklin finally confronts Alonzo as he sets out to save Liz.

**EARLIER THAT EVENING…**

It had been hours since Liz had come back to Franklin's house after hanging out with Tracey. She had spent some time with her new friend. She didn't think that she would form a friendship with someone from Rockford Hills who also happened to be in one of her classes. But after that night that she joined Franklin to go have dinner at his friend Michael's house, it seemed like it was fate for both ladies.

She felt the need to stay in the area of Vinewood, because it was possible that if she went southbound, some of Alonzo's friends would be on the hunt for her. She had told some of her friends to get out of town for at least a night. She had told her friend Lupe to maybe crash with their friend Cecilia and her husband. She wanted to make sure her friends were safe.

She sat on the red couch close in the living room area that was close to the kitchen. It felt that apart of the bedroom and bathroom, there were no actual rooms in that house. She turned on the TV and put it on the CNT channel where the show "Rehab Island" was being shown. But she couldn't keep herself focused on the program as she had a lot on her mind.

The main thing that was on her mind was how and why she stayed with Alonzo for quite a bit. Even though she did date Kyle the tennis coach for a bit, she had said it was during an off-period with Alonzo. If anything, those two broke up and saw other people, but for some reason, she went back to him.

Alonzo was definitely not good for her. She was abused both verbally and physically from him. It didn't help that he often tried to hit on some of her friends. She even felt uncomfortable when he would bring her around some of his friends and talk about how he wanted to get in with the Vagos. He was connected, but the one thing he wanted was to be in with them, like if he became a full-fledged member of the set.

What was so hypocritical was that while he would try to talk to other girls, and she even figured that he cheated a bit, he would get on her for talking to other guys. It did not help matters that he beat up her stepbrother, for no other reason other than that he wasn't blood-related to her. It wasn't until that fateful day when Franklin gave him a ride to meet up with her that everything changed for the better.

She didn't think that she would fall for Franklin like this. They had been dating for about a few months, but they had known each other for a bit longer as they had their friends-with-benefits relationship. She even slept with other men while he slept with strippers during that time. She even provided entertainment for some frat parties at times. But for some reason, even though she wasn't ready to date after the breakup with Alonzo, there was something about Franklin that made her want him, and it was more than just sex. She fell for him enough that she cared about him so much.

She wondered what else could happen. She knew what Franklin wanted to do, but if things go as planned, will it be the end of their problems?

"Hey." Liz jumped when she heard the voice say that. She looked up towards her left and saw that Franklin was standing close to the kitchen area.

"Hey, girl, you okay?" Franklin said as he walked towards her and leaned in.

"I'm fine." She said, though her tone said otherwise.

"It don't sound like you okay," Franklin said. He walked up and placed himself right on the couch beside her. "What's wrong?"

"Why do you think there is something wrong?" Liz said.

"'Cuz I know that shit has been bad for a few days," Franklin said and then inhaled and exhaled to take a deep breath. "Listen, I'ma go and solve this whole problem. I'm finna get those Vago cats off our backs and then things will get better."

"I don't want you to go over there," Liz said. "Even if you do get out alive, will everything be over? Those Vagos are horrible people. I know this for sure."

"I got a plan," Franklin said. "The only thing I want is for the Vagos to get off our backs. I'm only going over there to speak to the man in charge. The rest of the shit involving that ex of yours, it will get dealt with."

Liz turned away after having heard him say that. She wanted nothing more than to be done with Alonzo, but it seemed to her that even if things were to get resolved, he wouldn't give up. Franklin placed his left hand right on the right side of her face and guided her to turn her attention towards him.

"Listen, I got this, I know what I'm doing," Franklin said. "I'ma go down to Rancho and handle this shit. It seems that it's only with that set that I should deal with. I know that the Vagos run in Murrieta Heights and Vespucci Beach, but it's only with that set. I'ma get their shot-caller to back off of us. I can't let nothin' bad happen to you or any of your friends and family."

Liz then leaned and pressed her face against his left shoulder while he wrapped his arms around her and ran his hands up and down her back.

"I'ma be fine, okay?" Franklin said. "I won't be gone that long. I'll be back."

Liz moved her face away from Franklin's shoulder. Franklin saw that her eyes looked a little moist. It wasn't hard to see what happened there. Can he blame her for feeling so emotional?

"Promise you'll be back, I'll be waiting." Liz's voice cracked a bit when she said that.

"I will be back, ain't nothing bad gonna happen to me," Franklin said.

He then leaned in to kiss her right on the lips. "Just stay here."

Liz nodded her head as she watched Franklin grab the keys to his Buffalo. She stood up and walked a bit and watched as he walked out the door to the house. Her eyes shifted to the floor to her right and then sighed at what just happened, or what may happen to Franklin, for that matter. To her, there was a possibility, if likelihood that Franklin would not come back. But at the same time, she knows that Franklin is a strong guy, so he'll be fine.

She sat back down and watched TV some more. She had to get her mind off all this concern.

Outside, Franklin had started his and rolled eastbound on Whispymound Drive to get onto Baytree Canyon Road. He was heading south to get to Rancho. He got out his phone to make the calls to a few people for their assistance in case things were to happen.

However, after he left, a yellow Tornado pulled up right close to Franklin's pad from the west. Three men wearing yellow inside the car and looked over at the pad. Two men got out with masks on to find a way to get inside, while the third man sat in the driver's seat.

* * *

**NOW...**

Franklin had rolled down Elgin Avenue at that point. He was close to the Olympic Freeway, in the same area where he first met Liz that one time. The same place where some homeless people have their tents set up.

He was at a red light. In that very moment, he picked up his phone and went to his contacts. He looked up Michael and Trevor. He sent a text message to both of them.

Hey, I'm about to get in some shit right now. I want you to use the Trackify app to find me. Something tells me some shit is about to go down in a bit.

There was something that was eating at him in that moment. It was a hunch, a hunch that told him that this was a trick. Now that Liz has been taken, it almost seemed like Alonzo wants Franklin to come to him. This wasn't a matter of kidnapping Liz and having her go missing. No, this was more that Alonzo wants Franklin to come to him so that Liz can watch Franklin die right in front of her, or the other way around. In either case, Franklin was about ready. He wanted to settle this once and for all.

If anything, Franklin wasn't stupid enough to think that Alonzo was going to hand her over that easily.

He pulled up right under the overpass in that very area. It was nighttime and it was dark, so the headlights were on so that Franklin could see what was in front of him.

He put the car in park and turned it off. He got out and looked around to see if there was anybody around.

"Hello?" he said out loud. "Is anybody here?"

Within a quick breath, somehow it even got darker for Frank, as he couldn't see anything. He was moving though, as he felt that there were two men right beside him dragging him. He heard a clicking sound and right after that, he felt like he was shoved until fell into what seemed like the trunk of a car. Then he heard a sound, like something closed over him. He knew what was up. He was prepared, even though he fell into a trap. But after that phone call, he knew what happened to his girlfriend and this was the way to get to her.

* * *

**AN HOUR LATER…**

The car went to a complete stop. It had been an hour since Franklin was abducted, but unbeknownst to the two kidnappers, he was onto them. He may not have been armed, but he contacted a couple of friends to help him in this situation.

The trunk had opened. It was still dark for him, mostly because of the bag over his head. He had heard some guys talking.

"So what do you want to do, homes?" one guy said. The voice didn't sound familiar to him. "Do you want to bury him in this hole? Or do you want to bury him at sea?"

"I will worry about that." A familiar voice had said. "You two get the puta out of the car and I will handle this cabron right here. I don't want her to miss this."

Franklin knew that was the plan Alonzo had. He had figured that Alonzo wanted to give Liz a show. But what if he wanted to kill Liz right in front of him? It could go either way.

"Whatever, ese." Another familiar voice had said. "Just know that we might be in some serious shit after this."

"The fuck you talking about, carnal?" Alonzo said. "Jose, you better not be bullshitting me."

"I got word from Queso and he said that he wants us all to back the fuck off," Jose said. "We might be in some shit because we gunned down a Families puta after some shit went down in the barrio."

"So, what's your point?" Alonzo said.

Jose said, "Luis shot that mayate who brought Loca and Whisper back. Big Queso sent us a message that the hit has been called off."

"WHAT?!" Alonzo yelled. "You know what, I don't give a fuck. I just want to teach este hijo de puta a lesson in taking another man's woman and also beating my ass. He ain't gonna be so lucky this time. He also stole my car."

Luis added, "Hey, at least I finally got that guy who I couldn't kill the other day. If you want me to have a little fun with that guy over there, I'll gladly do it."

Alonzo looked over at the open trunk. "I think it's time to take of this." He looked over at his two friends. "Can you take Liz out of the car now?"

Luis went over to take Franklin out of the trunk. Jose went to get Liz out of the back of a yellow Cavalcade. It seemed that was the car that Alonzo drove. The moment the tailgate opened, Jose had grabbed Liz, who was blindfolded and gagged with duct tape and had her hands zip-tied behind her back. She got out kicking and tried to scream through the tape, but she couldn't.

Luis got Franklin to his feet, but much to the surprise of all three men, he walked with Luis guiding him. In a quick second, the bag was pulled from his head. In that same moment, Alonzo went up to Liz to remove the blindfold and the gag. He did it so hard that Liz turned her head around and even with little light around, with some of the light coming from headlights and a light pole that Alonzo brought with the SUV he drove. Franklin saw that Liz felt some pain from the removal of the tape.

Franklin tried to be calm in this situation, but it was so obvious that Liz wanted to cry at that point. He wanted to get close to her, until he felt something his back and he felt right onto the dirt. He tried to look around and see where he was.

"Isn't this quite a reunion?" Alonzo said. "You know something, Franklin, Liz never really knew what was good for her. I often tried to keep her in line, but she always went off and tried to go and do stuff without me. Even when she went to school, I had to be on the lookout for any boys trying to go for that pussy. I even kicked some guy's ass who was her partner in a project. I figured he wanted to tap that ass. He cried like a little bitch, just like the way this little bitch is starting to cry."

Alonzo went up towards Liz, who was looking towards the ground at that point. He grabbed her by the jaw and yelled at her to look right at him in the eye.

"Don't cry, puta," Alonzo said. "I'm going to take care of this asshole and then I will take you where you belong."

Liz's shoulders trembled a bit and she took a deep breath as she looked on what was right in front of her.

Alonzo looked right at Franklin. "I can't believe you're so stupid to fall for a slut like this. I even heard she got turned out by some frat boys. Even some huero tennis coach had fucked her. She couldn't keep it in her pants. I am also sure that because you had been fucking her, she probably got HIV by now."

"Fuck you, Alonzo!" Liz yelled.

Without question, Alonzo delivered a backhand slap right to her face. "¡Cállate! You fucking whore!"

Franklin didn't want to say anything. He knew that this guy was whipped and wanted to teach both him and Liz a lesson. But was this his way to get in with the gang? After the massacre that occurred at the Rancho projects, as well as what Big Queso had told him, Alonzo probably won't get his respect after all. The fact that this guy was berating her for dating and/or having sex with people outside of her ethnic group was enough to piss him off, especially with the blatant racism. Franklin knew that the MacAllen came from her Scottish grandfather, but she mainly identified herself as a Mexican-American woman, especially with her being three-quarters Mexican. It even explained why she had an accent and tan skin complexion.

While Alonzo continued to talk, Franklin had gotten himself to his feet. His hands were not tied or cuffed at all before that and weren't tied in that moment either.

"But you want to know what's even worse?" Alonzo said as he stared right into Franklin's eyes and then got closer to him. "You fucking stole my car in my barrio. But I got to hand it to you. You got a way with taking my shit. My woman, my car, my fucking pride. You are going to pay for what you have done."

It was time for Franklin to break his silence. "I didn't take shit, asshole. That car was never yours. Liz wanted to leave your ass. How the fuck did I take your pride? You started that shit under the freeway. I kicked your ass and you're still fucking pissed off at me?"

Alonzo scowled at him a bit.

"Oh, and I got news for you," Franklin said. Without hesitation, Franklin laid a hard right hand to Alonzo's face. But that didn't stop Luis and Jose to swing the bat and hit him with brass knuckles and knocked him down.

Franklin was on the ground and the two Vagos kicked and stomped on him. As much as Liz wanted to help him, she couldn't because her hands were tied behind her back.

After Alonzo had gotten up, he went right towards his friends, as they held Franklin by his arms while he knelt on the ground. Alonzo then laid a hard right hand and then a left hand to Franklin's jaw. Franklin started to bleed and was bruised around his jaw area. Jose and Luis picked him up to his feet and then Alonzo laid a hard punch to Franklin's stomach and then dropped to a fetal position on the ground.

"That's what you get for fucking with me, pendejo," Alonzo said

"STOP! PLEASE!" Liz said as she sounded like she was about to cry.

As Liz knelt there, she couldn't help but watch her boyfriend get beaten up. But out of the blue, she felt something behind her, like her zip-tie was being cut. She turned her head a tad and out of her peripherals, she saw what appeared to be a middle-aged man. Her eyes shifted to her right more and it turned out it was Michael who was cutting it loose. The moment they made eye contact, he gave her a shush sound. She quickly turned her attention to what was right in front of her.

As the three Vagos stood over Franklin's battered body on the ground.

"Hey, Alonzo," Jose said. "Should we just bury him now?"

"Nah, not yet," Alonzo said. "I think Liz got to see us fuck him up. Now _he_ has to see us fuck _her_ up."

Franklin may have been in pain in that moment, but he felt like he had some fight left in him. Nonetheless, Jose and Luis picked him up to his feet to take him closer to his girlfriend. It was then that he realized where he was. This was the same place he had picked up a woman who was about to get buried alive and as a reward for that, he had received 60 grand, especially when he realized that she was the daughter of a mobster from Liberty City.

Right when they stopped, Alonzo's friends held him down like before. Alonzo then got out a knife. He then looked right at Franklin, who wasn't sure what he was about to do with that knife. Was he about to stab him? Cut his throat? Cut or stab him in other areas?

"You're gonna watch me kill your precious slut," Alonzo said. "And then I will kill you. Is there anything you want to say?"

"Yeah, I do," Franklin said. "You know what Big Queso told me? He told me that you're a fucking hothead and that you're also a fucking joke. You ain't got no respect in your fucking set, asshole."

"You know what, fuck this shit," Alonzo said. "I'll do this a different way." He raised his knife, with the blade facing downward from his grip, like he was about to stab him.

Franklin was unsure if his friends got his message, but if not, he was ready to accept his fate. He didn't want Liz to get hurt. If Jose and Luis didn't hold Franklin down, Franklin would have tried to block and counter the attack. But he couldn't. There was no way around it for him.

BANG!

Everything went to a screeching halt the moment that sound occurred. Alonzo, Luis, and Jose looked up and tried to see where that gunshot came from. All three men tilted their heads to their sides and to the front to try get a sense as to where that was fired.

"You guys," Alonzo said. "Go and find whoever shot at us."

"Got it, carnal," Luis said. He and Jose went to go search the woods to find the shooter.

Alonzo was so distracted that Franklin used that time to get to his feet. He stood right behind him and said, "Hey, Alonzo." He turned to face him and then felt hard knuckles slam right to his left eye.

But the punch only sent him moving backwards a tad.

"So you want to play that way, huh?" Alonzo said and then took off his varsity jacket to reveal that he was wearing a black tank-top.

Liz continued to kneel there and pretend that she was tied. However, she saw the knife lying in the dirt. Alonzo's back was turned towards her. She had to come up with something to do.

Alonzo put his fists up in a stance. "Come on, puto. You got lucky last time. It ain't gonna happen again."

Franklin was a little vulnerable considering he was jumped just moments ago, but he was not going to let that stop him. Franklin threw a couple of jabs right to Alonzo's shoulder but when he was able to let out a left hook, Alonzo ducked and then delivered a punch right to the left side of Franklin's abdomen. But that didn't stop Franklin from grabbing Alonzo's shoulder and laying a hard left hand to his chest. Franklin laid a left and right job and delivered an overhand right hand to Alonzo's head.

It left Alonzo to stumble backwards. He shook his head a tad and then glared at Franklin with an angry scowl and then rushed right towards him and then grabbed him by the legs to slam him right on the ground. Being that they were close to a rocky area near the ocean, some parts of the ground were made of stone.

Franklin screamed a bit as his back hit against the ground. He looked up and saw Alonzo right on top of him and then swung a few times right to his face. Blood had flown right from Franklin's face.

As they were a little far from her, Liz had finally gotten up to her feet. She slowly made her move to grab the knife from the ground. It was in that moment, Alonzo grabbed Franklin by the head, ready to bash his head against the ground. But that wasn't going to happen, as he felt a sharp alloy pierce against his right shoulder. He got up from Franklin and noticed the blade fall from his shoulder. He got up and turned around and saw Liz standing up. So much blood was boiling in her veins, she started to breathe and tremble. Alonzo saw the knife on the ground and then picked it up.

He looked back and saw that Franklin was still lying there. He didn't want him to miss "the show." He went forth and tried to grab Liz.

"Alonzo, stop this, you made your point," Liz said as she was being grabbed.

"I am going to do something that I should have done a long time ago," Alonzo said as he gripped her hard and held the knife in the same stabbing position as before.

"Hey, Franklin!" Alonzo yelled. "Watch this!"

He held onto Liz as she was shaking intensely. Franklin barely got up, but as Alonzo was getting the blade close to her, he moved quickly to tackle Alonzo. He dropped the knife once again. Liz quickly reacted and picked up the knife.

Franklin went to town and wailed on his him with several hard punches to the face, ranging from his head to his nose to jaw. Alonzo's face was getting bruised and bloody as Franklin laid several hits onto him. He got up and decided that he had enough and then approached Liz for those two to get out of there.

But Alonzo didn't have enough. He got up once again and was ready to swing, except it was towards Liz this time. But what he got was something he didn't expect: a knife to the gut. Liz pulled the blade from his stomach and then looked at him with so much disgust in her eyes.

"Doesn't feel good, does it?" she said, as a tear trickled from her eye and sweat was running down her head.

Blood had started to run from Alonzo's mouth. Liz then started to remember all the hell he put her through, ranging from the physical abuse. Not just on her, but also her friends and also her stepbrother. She even reflected on everything that she had gone through that whole week. For that, she pounced and despite being smaller, the intensity in her system caused Alonzo to fall backwards. It could also be said that he was in a vulnerable state because of the stabbing.

But Liz didn't care. Alonzo was on the ground and she mounted over him and slashed the knife across his chest, his neck, and then started to puncture those areas of his body as she screamed at the top of her lungs. She stabbed him and cut him a few times enough that blood had sprayed right on her face. She stabbed him in the heart multiple times.

Franklin could not help but watch as she hacked right into her ex-boyfriend like that. The only thing he could do is grab her by the waist from behind and get her off what was left of Alonzo. She turned right to Franklin. She shook. She cried. She sweated from all of the tension. Franklin grabbed her by the shoulders.

"Liz, it's me," Franklin said. "Breathe, girl. Take a deep breath. He's already gone."

The couple looked right at Alonzo's bloody corpse that was lying right on the ground like that. Liz could not believe that she just murdered someone.

"Come on, we need to get out of here," Franklin said.

"But what about Luis and Jose?" Liz said.

Meanwhile, in the woods, Luis and Jose had been incapacitated with gunshots to the legs. It turned out that Franklin's support came through, as Michael and Trevor had their sniper rifles with them. They also had the infrared scopes on them. They could have easily killed them, but Trevor had other plans.

Trevor and Michael carried the two Vagos back to where Franklin and Liz were. Franklin was holding Liz tight. She had ceased crying from all the emotion and tension, but that didn't mean that they went away.

"Hey, Mikey, just leave these two here," Trevor said. "I got something planned for them."

"You sure about that, T?" Michael said. "You know, I don't even want to know what you will do."

"What's he talking about?" Liz said.

Franklin let out a slight breeze from his mouth. "You really don't want to know."

Michael approached the couple. "Hey, are you two okay?"

"Yeah, we are," Franklin said.

"Hey, how did you two find us?" Liz said.

"Franklin said he felt something was about to go down," Michael said. "So we used an app to track him down."

"I see, it makes sense," Liz said.

"Yeah, do you want me to take you guys home?" Michael said.

"Sure thing, Mike," Franklin said. "Just drop us off at my crib. It's been a rough week for all of us."

"I bet, Frank," Michael said. "I bet. Come on, follow me. I'll show you where I parked.

Franklin and Liz followed Michael down to the road near Paleto Forest. The lights were on down the Western Highway. All three people had approached Michael's black Tailgater that was parked on the side of the road. At that same moment, they saw Trevor put the two Vagos in the back of his Bodhi. However, he went back into the forest for some reason.

Franklin and Liz turned their attentions elsewhere and went into the backseat of Michael's car. Franklin wanted to sit with her to comfort her after what had just happened. She looked down at the floor. She still couldn't believe what she just did.

"Listen, baby," Franklin said. "I know what you felt. But there was no stopping that guy. If anything, you let out all your anger. Come on, let's go home. I'll make you feel better. I'll take care of you."

Liz nodded her head and then leaned her head against Franklin's shoulder right when Michael started his car. They were about to head back to civilization.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What a chapter I wrote. I will admit that I had a hard time deciding where the final confrontation should take place. It was either the forest/mountains or the desert. Then I remembered the random event of finding that mobster woman and saving her from getting killed.
> 
> I know that Alonzo's death was pretty gruesome. I had debated as to who should be the one to kill him. I thought it was better for Liz to do it as she had more of a reason to. Not saying that Franklin didn't have one, but when you look at Liz's history with Alonzo, it was pretty cathartic for her.
> 
> As for the fates of his friends, I'll leave you to wonder what Trevor will do with them.
> 
> I also planned on doing the minor flashback sequence from earlier that same day in this chapter. It was just like how I did that flashback in the previous chapter.
> 
> Also, there's going to be one more chapter. It's going to be the epilogue. I have a plan for it and I will get it up soon.


	22. Epilogue

**A WEEK LATER…**

It was a sunny day as the sun shined over Hill Valley Church where a service was being held. The service was the funeral for one Lamar Davis, who had been murdered the previous week.

Lots of people had attended the funeral. They ranged from a lot of CGF members, to Trevor, to Michael and his family, to Denise, to Tanisha and her husband Jayden, and most importantly, Franklin, who had Liz by his side. Several CGF members, as well as Franklin, wore sunglasses to the service. Another person attended the service, and that was Franklin's cousin Tavell.

Things had gotten out of hand during that war that was not necessary. After Alonzo's demise and the mysterious fate of his two friends out in Paleto Forest, the next day, Franklin went to Rancho one last time to make sure that things were square between him and Big Queso. The fact that a massacre had commenced only tipped the scales and right after clearing everything up, Lamar was gunned down.

Franklin had informed the shot-caller of a lot of issues that had occurred. He had to even let him know about some issue surrounding the Bagger when he and Lamar dealt with the Vespucci Beach set. However, it was all in self-defense and didn't expect anything to happen. But all the stuff had been sorted. Even though lives had ended in the process, the only thing Franklin wanted was for the Vagos of any set to leave him and Liz alone. Besides, a lot of it was mainly Alonzo's doing, whom Big Queso didn't even respect.

The pastor stood at the podium and spoke into the microphone with the casket nearby. "Brothers and sisters, we are gathered here to celebrate the life of the fallen. Lamar Davis had lived a life that was cut short. It was a tragic loss for everyone here, but now he is at peace…"

Franklin stood there facing the ground. He couldn't believe that one of his best friends was gone. He was informed that when the shootings had occurred in Forum that Tonya and JB were killed as well. And for what reason, all because the guy was so jealous of his ex dating someone he didn't approve of?

Liz looked at her boyfriend and then put her right arm over his right shoulder while wrapped her left arm in between his chest and stomach. Franklin slowly turned towards his girlfriend. She mouthed, "It's okay" to him. Franklin nodded his head.

Even though he felt that it was bound to happen, he wasn't sure if Lamar was going to get smoked before his time this soon. He knew that deep down he cared about Lamar, but considering the life Lamar led, he was fed up with this early-1990's gang-banger fantasy that his friend lived. It was the 2010's. While gang violence and activity was still a thing, it wasn't as heavy as it was in the 1980's and 1990's when the Families and Ballas were at an even bigger war than how it was in current times. There may still be some tension, but it wasn't as bad as it was during those days.

At some point, he looked up and saw Lamar's mother. Franklin saw that she was broken over the whole thing. After a while, the pastor had called up Franklin to give his eulogy.

Franklin slowly went up to the podium on the stage. It was hard for him to even look at everyone in the audience. Even through his shades, every one of his friends and some family saw that he couldn't look at anybody. But he had to say something.

He cleared his throat. "Lamar was one of my boys growing up. I always knew that he didn't always make the best decisions. Some of the dreams he had ain't stuff you want to get involved in. I know this, because I went the same path. But I decided when it was time to leave. Lamar, even though he ain't made the smartest decisions, he was still a good friend. He was a good son to his mother. He was a funny guy to be around. I'm finna miss him. We all gonna miss him."

He paused a bit and stammered a bit. "I'm sorry, I can't go on."

Liz went up there and walked him off the stage. The pastor patted Franklin on the shoulder.

Later on, they went to bury the casket in the grave at the nearby cemetery. After a while, most of the guests had left and took off to a small venue where the reception was taking place. Michael and Trevor tried to comfort Franklin, who then saw Ms. Davis looking at a lot of pictures of Lamar.

Franklin approached Lamar's mother and said, "Ms. Davis, I am so sorry for the loss of your son. Your son and I were boys. I know he wasn't always so smart, but I always tried to have his back."

The older lady looked right at him and responded with, "Franklin, I know you were a good friend to my boy. But I'm going to be honest with you, Lamar wasn't a smart boy. He wanted to live this life. I told him that he should try to make his life better, but he didn't want to listen. I hoped he would see things my way one day. This is not your fault."

He then gave his late friend's mother a hug after that. Not long after that, Liz came up and saw Franklin.

"Is everything okay, baby?" Liz said.

"I'm cool," Franklin said while Ms. Davis stood by. "Oh, by the way, this is Lamar's mother Brenda." He looked at Ms. Davis. "This is my girlfriend Liz."

"Hi," Liz said and shook the older woman's hand.

"Hello," Ms. Davis said and then looked at Franklin. "Wow, Franklin, she's beautiful."

Liz smiled at that comment. "Thank you."

"I'll leave you two to talk," Ms. Davis said. "Don't be a stranger, Franklin. You're welcome to come by my house any time."

After the older lady walked away, Liz once again asked Franklin how he was feeling.

"I'm okay, I'm getting better," Franklin said. "Things will be fine soon."

"I'm glad to hear that," Liz said. "I mean it had been a rough week for both of us. Just know that I love you and I am here for you."

"I know that, girl," Franklin said and then hugged her.

* * *

**MONTHS LATER…**

It had been peaceful both Franklin and Liz as there was no more tension between them and the Vagos anymore. If anything, they were relieved that all of that was behind them.

At some point, Liz had moved out of The Tahitian in Strawberry to go move in with Franklin out in Vinewood Hills. Things were already getting serious between the two. So it was bound to happen that Liz would finally move in with Franklin. Plus, with her still being in school, the ULSA campus was closer than when she was living in Strawberry. She was getting close to graduating with a degree in Mechanical Engineering and also in Business.

In that time, Liz started bringing Franklin around her family and friends. He had met Liz's friend Cecilia and her husband Juan. He had also gotten to know Liz's friend Lupe a little better. When things got pretty serious, it was time for Liz to bring him to meet her parents, particularly her mother and stepfather. Much to Franklin's surprise, Liz's mother liked him.

The spring semester had now ended. Liz wanted to go away for a little bit. Franklin had come up with an idea. He wanted to go out of town this time. But to where was the question on Liz's mind. Franklin had an idea. He wanted to surprise her. They were about to go on a real vacation this time.

Franklin had packed suitcases in the back of his Buffalo. He had asked Michael to come by and check on Chop every day and feed him.

Four hours after they left that morning, they finally reached their destination. Liz realized that the drive was through a desert but it wasn't through Blaine County. In fact, Franklin headed eastbound. It finally dawned on her where they went as when they got closer, they saw some casinos on the side of the highway. When they got closer to the city, she now knew where she was as they were getting off the Julius Thruway.

"Oh my god, baby, you really shouldn't have done this!" Liz said with so much enthusiasm in her voice.

"Hey, I wanted to take you somewhere nice," Franklin said. "Shit, I ain't been to Las Venturas either. It was time for both of us to go. Besides, I needed to take you on a trip after all those finals."

"This is great, baby," Liz said. She couldn't believe it. It may have been the daytime, but even with all that light out there, it was like a dream come true for her. Traffic may be bad, both on the road and on the sidewalks, but hey, they were on vacation and they were ready to have some fun.

Lucky for them, Franklin had already made reservations at Caligula's Palace on the Strip. But he didn't book them for just a hotel room. He wanted a suite for both of them. He paid a lot of money for a suite in one of the top floors.

It was only the first day in Venturas. There was a lot to do out there and they were going to be there for a few days. So they had to make the most of it.

They went to check out the nightlife in Venturas. They started off by going to the Camel's Toe Club that was close to The Camel's Toe hotel and casino. The streets of the Venturas strip were crazy, but it was expected. That's why there were bridges to walk on to cross streets, as well as trams to get to places quicker.

When they went back to their hotel suite, both of them were still dressed in their nightlife gear. Franklin wore some black slacks and a green plaid vest that he bought at Ponsonbys. He also took Liz to buy her a black dress at that place at some point, which she also happened to be wearing.

But the night wasn't over for them. Not even close.

"I can't believe you managed to get a suite," Liz said.

"I wanted to treat you something nice, girl," Franklin said.

"Well, this been a great trip so far," Liz said. "I mean I would have loved to have gone to San Fierro or even farther like Liberty City or even Vice City. But this is still great."

"We'll get to those places someday, Liz," Franklin said, as he was looking through a bag that he brought. It wasn't long until he brought out a bottle of Costa Del Perro and then poured some it into a couple of wine glasses that he set on a counter.

He saw that Liz was standing outside on a balcony overlooking the strip with the sliding door open. She was looking around the area with all of the colorful lights on each of the casinos, ranging from Pirates in Men's Pants to The Pink Swan to The Four Dragons. Even also the ones on that same side as Caligula's like Come-a-Lot and The Clown's Pocket, as well as The Visage.

Franklin approached her with a glass on his right hand while he took a sip of the wine in the glass in his left hand.

"Thanks, baby," Liz said with a smile. "It's just incredible. I have been waiting for you take me on a trip."

"You finally got your wish, girl," Franklin said as he held his glass out as Liz let her glass out to tap it right to Franklin's.

They both leaned in and gave each other a kiss on the lips.

"I love you, Franklin," Liz said.

"I love you, too…Elisa," Franklin said as Liz responded with a smile and then took a sip of her wine.

"You know you're the first person in a while to call me by my full name," Liz said.

"Well, I heard your mama call you that a few times, especially when she talks to you in Spanish," Franklin said.

"You are right about that," Liz said. "Okay, so you're the second person." She chuckled, as did Franklin.

They continued to enjoy their drinks and enjoy their night together, as it was the first night in their stay in Las Venturas.

* * *

**A COUPLE OF WEEKS LATER…**

Liz had been feeling a bit queasy and nauseous lately. She wondered what was up with her. She had a feeling of something, so she went ahead and got a pregnancy test. She brought it back to the house while Franklin wasn't home.

She opened up the box and went into bathroom to go pee. After a few minutes, the line on the test turned blue. She knew exactly what that meant.

 _Oh my god, am I ready for this? What will Franklin say?_ She thought. She took a deep breath and had to be calm about this.

Later on, Franklin had come home and saw Liz looking at the computer.

"Hey, baby, what's happenin'?" Franklin said.

The left side of Liz's mouth opened a tad as she let out a small hiss. She then got up from in front of the computer and approached him.

"Um, baby, I need to tell you something. Actually, I need to _show_ you something."

"What's that?" Franklin said.

"Well…" Liz then got out the test stick and showed him the blue lines.

Just then, Franklin's eyes bulged as his mouth opened. He then grabbed the test from her hand. "Does this mean…?"

Liz nodded her head. "I'm pregnant."

In a surprise turn of events, Franklin gave her a big hug after having heard that. "I can't believe this. I'm gonna be a dad."

"You're not mad?" Liz said.

"Mad? Why the fuck would I be mad?" Franklin said. "I'm just so happy right now."

A smile grew on Liz's face right then and then gave her boyfriend a big hug. She wasn't sure if she was ready to be a mother, but she loved Franklin and he loved her, too. She couldn't be any happier that they would start a family. They weren't married, but with the way their relationship was going, that may be the next in the cards.

**THE END.**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope all of you enjoyed my final chapter of this story. While I know that the majority of the plot was surrounded on the plot with Alonzo, I tried to keep the romance there with Franklin and Liz. I feel like I am among the few who ships these two, especially with how they meet in the game.
> 
> I had wanted to do a trip for these two. I waited to do it for the epilogue. I was torn between San Fierro and Las Venturas. Though I mentioned Liberty City and Vice City, I figured why not have them go to Venturas. Though that city hasn't been explored in the HD universe, I decided to use the names of the casinos that were used in GTA San Andreas. As for mentioning how car traffic and foot traffic over there, I will tell you that I have been to Las Vegas myself and it's pretty crowded over there. Also, part about bridges to cross the streets and the trams are a thing out there.
> 
> I would also like to thank anybody who took the time to read this. I hope you all enjoyed this. It was definitely something that I wanted to do. I am not opposed to doing a follow-up of this one, even if it's just a one-shot or maybe a story with two or three chapters.
> 
> Much love to you all. I'm out.


End file.
